


Keep Me Warm

by bugarungus



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-05-20 20:00:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 34
Words: 51,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6022888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bugarungus/pseuds/bugarungus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Baekhyun is coming out of a long relationship when he meets Chanyeol through a mutual friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1

_It's only October! Why is it already so cold out?_

Baekhyun shivered as he stepped out of bed onto the chilly hardwood floor of his friend Kyungsoo's guest room, still wrapped in the fluffy duvet. Despite having worn fleece pajama pants to bed last night he was still freezing, but he was just too polite to ask Kyungsoo to turn the heat up in his own apartment.

Baekhyun found his warmest pair of socks buried in the bottom of his overstuffed suitcase that contained everything he was able to take when he left his old apartment in a hurry the previous evening. He shuffled into the living room to sit on the couch while he allowed his body and brain to wake up. Suddenly he was hit with a wave of emotions as it finally sank in that he had left his boyfriend of the last three years, that he was now all alone, that he had no home of his own anymore. Hot tears flowed freely down his cheeks.

Baekhyun was startled by a noise from the kitchen. He looked up to see Kyungsoo standing in the doorway looking slightly uncomfortable. It wasn't that Kyungsoo didn't want to comfort his friend, just that he wasn't a touchy-feely person like Baekhyun and was slightly afraid that if he touched him he would be trapped. Kyungsoo's idea of comforting someone in pain was to cook for him, so he turned and went back to the kitchen to start breakfast. Baekhyun sniffled a little as Kyungsoo left the room and leaned against the arm of the couch to close his eyes.

His eyes flew open when he felt a soft, warm hand gently shaking his shoulder. Jumping slightly at the sight of Kyungsoo's large, concerned eyes mere inches from his face he sat up, realizing he had fallen back asleep. _So much for waking up,_ he thought. "What is it Soo?" he asked, his voice thick from tears and sleep.

"I made breakfast," Kyungsoo answered quietly. "Eat with me before I leave for work?"

Despite not feeling hungry, Baekhyun followed his friend to the kitchen and sat at the table. He didn't want to disappoint Kyungsoo as it was obvious he had been hard at work in the kitchen while Baekhyun slept. "Are those... did you make strawberry pancakes?" Baekhyun's eyes were wet again as he asked.

"Mm," Kyungsoo hummed. "I know they're your favorite, and I thought you could use some cheering up."

His deep voice was gentle and calm, and tears spilled down Baekhyun's face again. "Soo, you're the best."

"Don't worry about it. Just eat."

With that, Baekhyun drenched his pancakes with syrup and dug in. They were delicious. Of course, he had forgotten what an excellent cook Kyungsoo is. He was startled from his thoughts about the food by a question from the other side of the table.

"So, do you have any plans today?"

Baekhyun chewed and swallowed before answering, buying time, but still came up with nothing. "No," he answered, looking down at his lap.

"Well, just know that you're welcome to the guest bed as long as you need it. I have to work today, but I'll be home around 5:30. It's Friday. Maybe we can watch a movie when I get home, okay?"

Baekhyun nodded and ate his pancakes.

"One more thing: a friend of mine will be stopping by sometime after lunch to pick up some music. He's really tall and has a goofy grin. You'll recognize him when you see him. He has a key so don't be scared if he just walks in, okay?"

Baekhyun nodded again. Kyungsoo grabbed his backpack and headed toward the door but stopped. He walked back to the table where his friend had his back to him, leaned down, and wrapped his arms around Baekhyun's neck. It only lasted a couple of seconds, but it did make Baekhyun feel better.

"See you tonight," Kyungsoo mumbled, and then he was out the door.

 

After cleaning the kitchen from breakfast and taking a long, hot shower to relieve some of the stress, Baekhyun didn't know what to do with himself for the rest of the day. He had no job and very few possessions and it was far too cold out for him to wander the streets. He didn't quite feel at-home enough in Kyungsoo's apartment to go through his things looking for some kind of entertainment. He settled to just wrap himself in the duvet again and sit on the couch to think.

His thoughts strayed to his newly ended relationship, the reason he was crashing with Kyungsoo to begin with. Three years of being pampered and cared for by his older ex-boyfriend had left him in the uncomfortable position of not being able to care for himself. He didn't know how to cook nor did he have the kind of skills that could land him a decent paying job. He wasn't even sure how to do his own laundry. Having moved out of his parents' house and directly into his lover's bed, all he knew how to do was sing. It seemed like a longshot to get a job doing that.

Baekhyun didn't know how long he was sitting there, but he must have dozed off because he awoke to the sound of the door opening. Having forgotten Kyungsoo's warning he was startled to look over the back of the couch and find a tall, grinning man standing in the doorway, toeing off his shoes.

"You must be Kyungsoo's friend," the tall man smiled even wider. "I'm Chanyeol. Baekhyun, is it?"

Baekhyun nodded. His voice seemed to have abandoned him as he took in the towering figure. He was thin but looked to be quite muscular, wearing grey skinny jeans and a white v-neck shirt as he removed his leather jacket and hung it on the hook by the door. With a dry mouth, Baekhyun finally croaked out, "Yes, that's me."

Chanyeol chuckled softly. "Well, I'm just here to pick up some sheet music that Kyungie was supposed to leave for me." The giant looked around for a moment then turned back to Baekhyun, his eyebrows knitting together with concern. "Hey, are you okay?"

Baekhyun wasn't sure why he had asked until he realized that his cheeks were wet. He must have been crying in his sleep.

"What? Oh... this," Baekhyun gestured toward his face. "It's nothing."

"It doesn't look like nothing," Chanyeol countered. "It looks like you're crying."

"Really, it's okay. It's just... I just broke up with my boyfriend last night so I'm still a little... upset, I guess." Baekhyun turned back around on the couch to stare at his fuzzy, warm socks.

"Oh," Chanyeol said softly. "Well, I don't know about you, but when I'm going through something tough like that I like hugs."

Baekhyun looked up sharply and watched the giant walk slowly around the couch.

"Y-you don't have to. I-I'm okay, r-really," Baekhyun stammered as Chanyeol approached.

"Don't be silly. I know Kyungsoo. He's a great friend, but he's not terribly comforting. Just come here." The tall man sat on the other end of the couch, giving Baekhyun the choice whether to come to him or not.

After hesitating for a moment, Baekhyun gave in to his desire to be held and crawled into Chanyeol's arms. No sooner had his head met Chanyeol's shoulder than he began sobbing. Chanyeol calmly cooed to him, "Shhhh, shhhh. It's okay." He stroked Baekhyun's back and ran his fingers gently through his hair. It was odd to find such comfort in the arms of a complete stranger, but in no time Baekhyun was falling asleep on the couch for the third time in one day.


	2. 2

Kyungsoo entered his apartment after work to a strange sight. Chanyeol was sitting straight up on the couch, head leaned back at an odd angle against the back of the couch, eyes closed and jaw hanging open in sleep. Baekhyun was wrapped around the taller man like a koala, face buried in his chest, also asleep.

They didn't hear Kyungsoo enter so when he cleared his throat from behind the couch they both jumped in surprise. Chanyeol attempted to stand so quickly that Baekhyun dropped rather clumsily to the floor in a heap.

"Oh shit!" Chanyeol said, leaning down to help Baekhyun to his feet. "I'm so sorry, I forgot you were there. Are you okay?"

With the aid of Chanyeol's large hands pulling on his arms, Baekhyun stood in front of the couch, cheeks turning pink in embarrassment both at having fallen and having been caught cuddling with the giant stranger. "I'm fine, it's... ouch... it's okay." He rubbed his hip which had cracked against the floor as he fell.

"You're so small," Chanyeol observed. "I guess I didn't realize because you weren't standing before. You're almost as tiny as Kyungie."

"I'm perfectly average!" Baekhyun snapped, not appreciating being called small.

Chanyeol looked down at his hands and muttered, "Sorry," and they were left with a short, uncomfortable silence until Kyungsoo broke it.

"I brought dinner," he announced. "Chanyeol, I hadn't expected you, but there's plenty of food if you'd like to stay. Baek and I were going to watch a movie."

Chanyeol's gaze shifted to the shorter man in front of him, looking for a sign as to how he should answer. After Baekhyun had fallen asleep earlier, Chanyeol had had the time to get a good look at the petite man. His features smooth as his face relaxed, dark brown hair falling slightly across his eyes, long dark lashes to match, full little cheeks, and an angled chin. Just like everything else about him, his nose was cute like a button, his lips thin but pleasantly pink. Chanyeol knew right then that he would have to befriend the smaller man, if for no other reason than to see his beauty as often as possible. When Baekhyun shrugged Chanyeol looked back to Kyungsoo. "Sure. Better than eating alone at home, right?"

The three men unpacked the food Kyungsoo had brought and dished it out onto plates to eat in front of the television. Kyungsoo popped in a movie and sat in the middle of the couch. Based on the earlier awkwardness he assumed Baekhyun wouldn't want to sit next to Chanyeol, but when they walked into the room Chanyeol curled into the side of the couch, settling his plate on the armrest to his right while Baekhyun looked around for a moment and flopped onto the floor at Chanyeol's feet, placing his plate on the coffee table.  _Odd,_  Kyungsoo thought to himself. He scooted over to the other end of the couch to use the armrest as a table as well.

The movie started and they ate in relative silence, eyes focused on the screen or on their food. When he finished eating Baekhyun moved up into Kyungsoo's abandoned middle seat on the couch and sighed, leaning his head against Chanyeol's shoulder once again. Kyungsoo studied them for a moment, then looked at Chanyeol's face for an explanation only to find him staring wide eyed at the television screen.

Baekhyun soon drifted off. It was confusing for Chanyeol. He only met this man today and yet he seemed comfortable enough to fall asleep against him not once, but twice in one day. As the movie ended he carefully scooped up the sleeping man and carried him to the guest bedroom, placing him gently in the center with his head resting comfortably on the fluffy pillow. He went back to the living room and returned a moment later with the duvet to cover him up.

Kyungsoo appeared in the doorway and whispered, "Did you want to stay the night? The couch should be big enough and I have some extra pillows and blankets."

After a lingering look at Baekhyun sleeping peacefully in the bed he turned to Kyungsoo and nodded. He helped Kyungsoo get the blankets and pillows out of the linen closet and settled in on the couch. "Goodnight, Kyungie," he said quietly, pulling the blanket up to his chin.

"Goodnight, Channie," Kyungsoo whispered over his shoulder as he made his way to his own room to go to bed.

 

Chanyeol woke with a start. He squinted his eyes to see the time on his phone, 4:07 in the morning.  _What woke me?_  Then he heard it. Quiet sobs were coming from the guest room.

He quietly moved toward the room and knocked softly on the door. "I'm coming in," he said and opened the door.

Baekhyun was curled up in a ball, facing the wall on the far side of the bed, hugging a pillow to his chest. He sniffed and said, "I'm sorry if I woke you."

"It's nothing. You can talk to me if you want."

Chanyeol's deep voice was so soothing, quiet and calm. He sat on the edge of the bed and waited for a response.

"I... I just woke up... and there was no one here." Baekhyun had almost stopped crying by now but the sniffles hadn't subsided yet. Chanyeol reached over to the bedside table and grabbed a tissue, handing it to Baekhyun who sat up and wiped his face. "It's been a long time since I woke up alone. It kind of felt confusing at first, and then I remembered."

"So, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly happened? With your ex I mean."

Baekhyun sighed, "It's a long story. I don't want to bore you. The gist of it is that we were together for three years, he took care of me from day one, but then he cheated on me and I couldn't move past it so I left. Now I'm all alone, I don't know how to take care of myself, and I'm still heartbroken. I mean, when you're with someone for that long you think it's going to last forever."

"Mm," Chanyeol hummed. "That is a long time. How did you find out?"

"About the cheating?" Chanyeol nodded. "His lover answered one of my text messages."

"You're kidding! Kid's got balls, huh?"

Baekhyun giggled, music to Chanyeol's ears. "I suppose so. I think he just wanted to cause problems between us in hopes that we would break up and he could have him all to himself. I hate to say it, but I guess he got what he wanted," Baekhyun frowned.

"So what are your plans now? How long will you be staying with Kyungie?"

"I'm not sure. I don't have a job or any money of my own really. I hate to take advantage of Kyungsoo so I guess my first job should be... well... finding a job."

"What do you do?" Chanyeol was sincerely curious.

Baekhyun blushed deeply as he mumbled, "All I really _can_ do is sing."

Chanyeol perked up at that. "Really? Can I hear you?" Baekhyun wanted to refuse, but Chanyeol was smiling so widely that he could see every tooth in his mouth and his left eye was twitching a bit.

Baekhyun closed his eyes for a moment, trying to forget he had a rather adorably enthusiastic audience of one. He chose the first song that came to mind, "Last Mistake" by Hey Ocean, a Canadian band his ex had introduced him to. When he opened his mouth to sing, his voice came out smooth and clear.

_Tracing the silver lines of the moon with our eyes, we both knew it was time_

_With your finger you traced every line every angle of my face, never wanting to leave this place_

_Time took its toll and we lost any sort of control we once had before_

_Closing the door this was going to be our last mistake, a quick inhale, a fast intake_

_We tried to take it slow but no it wasn't an option in our state of mind_

_Anything that was left was left behind_

Baekhyun heard a gasp and was jolted from his song back to the bedroom and the man sitting across from him. Chanyeol looked as though he could melt into a puddle as Baekhyun's face turned pink all the way to the tips of his ears.

"Why did you stop?" Chanyeol sounded so disappointed.

"Ah... I got nervous when I remembered you were here." The blush deepened yet again.

"Baekhyun, do you know what I do? For a living, I mean."

"No. I mean, we haven't really gotten to talk yet, have we?"

Chanyeol's grin was back. "I think I have the perfect job for you."

"What? What kind of job?" Baekhyun was so confused and excited and nervous at the same time.

"Singing!" Chanyeol announced.


	3. 3

"Singing?" Baekhyun was now climbing up onto his knees in excitement. "You mean I'd get paid to sing?"

"Well, it wouldn't be a lot of money, but yeah." Chanyeol thought his heart would burst as he saw Baekhyun's mouth spread into a large, rectangular grin.

"Tell me! Tell me all about it!" Baekhyun bounced on the bed.

Chanyeol looked down at the bed so he could think. Baekhyun's adorable face made it hard to concentrate. "I work at a club. It's not far from here. Friday nights they have karaoke which is why I don't work Fridays, but the rest of the week is live music. Sometimes there are bands. I play piano or guitar or sometimes drums and they've been looking for a full-time singer for nights when there's no band. I would be playing for you if you get the job."

Baekhyun squealed. He hadn't even had to look for a job and one was dropping right into his lap. "Will you take me? Introduce me to the owner or whoever?"

"Of course," Chanyeol smiled all the way to his eyes, his cheeks dusted with a little pink. "I'll take you tomorrow afternoon. Or I guess this afternoon. It's really late... early. We should get some sleep."

Baekhyun looked down at his hands. "I can't sleep. The bed is too cold when I'm alone."

Chanyeol didn't know what to say. He didn't want to be too forward, but he sensed the smaller man might be hinting at something. "I could keep you warm if you like."

That's how they wound up sharing the guest bed. Baekhyun lay back down, facing the wall again and Chanyeol scooted right up behind him, back to back. He felt Baekhyun shiver and without thinking rolled over to face him, draping his arm around his waist. Soon they were both sleeping peacefully.

 

The smell of coffee and bacon roused Baekhyun from his slumber. Light was shining in through the curtains and he was snuggly warm under the duvet as he stretched his arms and legs out of their sleepiness.  _Wait, why is the bed warm?_  He rolled over away from the wall to find the sleeping giant beside him. The memory came flooding back. He might have a job, he might get to sing, and Chanyeol had promised to keep him warm. He wasn't sure why, but he thought he felt a tickle of butterfly wings in his tummy.

He studied Chanyeol as he slept. His long hair was slightly wavy now that it wasn't held back by the hairband. Despite his youthful appearance there were tiny wrinkles at the sides of his eyes, probably from all the smiling. His lashes were long and dark, like Baekhyun's, but his mouth was much more pouty, his lips more plush. Chanyeol's large ears stuck out from his head like a charming little elf.

Chanyeol sighed and rolled to his back to stretch, opening his eyes and mumbling something about food. "Is that bacon?" Then he noticed that he was neither in his own bed, nor was he alone. Jolting up, fully awake now, he turned to Baekhyun. The look on the smaller man's face confused him. He no longer looked like the sad puppy he had found in the living room the day before. His expression was more hopeful, more happy, and slightly amused, no doubt by Chanyeol's reaction to waking up beside him.

"I assume you're used to waking up alone?" Baekhyun questioned with a smirk.

"Well, I do live alone so... yeah."

"Come on. I think Soo made breakfast."

"I need coffee. Someone kept me up half the night," Chanyeol teased, poking Baekhyun in the ribs, earning a yelp from Baekhyun as they disentangled themselves from the sheets.

Kyungsoo looked up as the pair entered the kitchen. He watched carefully as they moved around quietly, pouring coffee and serving themselves food. They sat at the table beside each other and began eating in silence, neither looking at the other but both glowing with happiness that Kyungsoo had not expected from them. Certainly not from Baekhyun who should still have been reeling from his breakup.

"So, Baek," Kyungsoo started, "Did you want to do something today? We could watch another movie or go out and do something."

"Um..." Baekhyun looked uncomfortably at Chanyeol and then back to Kyungsoo, "I actually have plans this afternoon. I might have a job."

Kyungsoo narrowed his eyes at the two of them. "Oh? Where?"

"At the club," Chanyeol answered.

"Well, that's good. I'll just clean up the kitchen and be in my room if you need me." Kyungsoo took his plate and headed to the counter. He tried not to eavesdrop, but he was so close to the table and neither Baekhyun nor Chanyeol had ever been quiet people.

"So, I'm going to go home for a bit," Chanyeol said. "I need a shower and clean clothes. I'll be back around 2:00 to pick you up?"

"Sounds great!" Baekhyun chirped. "And hey, thanks again... for last night."

_What exactly happened last night?_  Kyungsoo wondered.  _For that matter, w_ _hat happened yesterday?_  He was broken from his thoughts as Chanyeol brought his plate over to the sink.

"Thanks for breakfast Kyungie!" Chanyeol hugged Kyungsoo and headed for the door to gather his things. "See you soon Baekhyun," he called just before they heard the door slam.

Kyungsoo turned to Baekhyun, curiosity finally winning out. "What exactly is going on between you two?"

Baekhyun blushed and looked down at his nearly empty plate. "Nothing is going on," he mumbled. "Chanyeol is just being friendly. I gather he's like that with everyone. Just look at the way he's always smiling."

"No, actually he's not." Baekhyun looked up. "Well, he is nice... friendly I mean. He's one of the friendliest people you'll meet, but not  _that_  friendly." Baekhyun's brow furrowed in confusion. "Just... nevermind. Don't worry about it. I was just curious. I'm glad you guys hit it off. Have fun with him today." Kyungsoo hurried out of the kitchen and soon Baekhyun heard the bedroom door shut.

_What on Earth? You'd think he's jealous or something._  Baekhyun cleared his plate and finished the dishes before heading to the bathroom for a shower.

 

Chanyeol arrived early to meet Baekhyun so he let himself into the apartment. He found himself laughing uncontrollably while watching Baekhyun preparing himself for the weather.  _It's only October. He looks like he's heading out into a blizzard,_  Chanyeol mused as he saw the guy layer on a sweater, a thin jacket, a winter coat, two scarves, and a pair of fluffy mittens.

"You realize it's still fall, right?" Chanyeol chuckled.

"Shut up!" Baekhyun's tone was annoyed. "I get really cold. It's my circulation or something. I can't stand being cold."

"Aww," the giant cooed, "don't worry, I said I'd keep you warm."

What Chanyeol could see of Baekhyun's face beneath the scarves turned magenta. "I'm ready," he said in answer.

Baekhyun was surprised by how close the club was to the apartment. The two talked as they walked the six blocks. "How did you and Kyungsoo meet?" Baekhyun attempted to understand the jealousy he thought he'd felt from Kyungsoo earlier.

"Ah, we met at the club actually," Chanyeol grinned until his eye twitched again. "We had open mic night and Kyungie needed an accompanist so I was called up. He said he liked the way I play and we've been performing together ever since. Mostly at the club, but sometimes I get other gigs, weddings and such, and if Kyungie is free he always tags along to sing with me."

"Did you ever date?"

Chanyeol choked on nothing, sputtering before answering, "Me and Kyungsoo? Of course not! Why would you ask that?"

Baekhyun stared at the pavement as he muttered, "I just... I didn't know." Looking up he continued, "It would have been weird to assume. I had to ask. Sorry to make you uncomfortable."

"Hey," Chanyeol stopped, grabbing Baekhyun's slender wrist so he could look at him, "I don't know what you were thinking, but Kyungsoo is just my friend. I'm not interested in him."

"But you have a key to his place and all. I just-"

Chanyeol cut him off, "No, no. I water his plants while he's out of town. Plus his place is close to the club so sometimes I crash when it's been a long night, but always in the guest room."

"Oh." Baekhyun felt even smaller than usual looking up at Chanyeol's towering figure and concerned face. "Okay." He said and turned to walk again, only to realize a few steps later that he didn't know where he was going. He stopped to wait for Chanyeol to catch up and they finished the journey in silence.

Chanyeol had been so thrown by Baekhyun's blunt question that he was wrapped in his own thoughts.  _Why is he so curious about me and Kyungsoo? Does he like me?_


	4. 4

Chanyeol patiently waited for Baekhyun to remove his many layers of clothing, hanging each piece on the coat rack by the door.

"How does this work exactly?" Baekhyun suddenly felt very nervous.

"Uh... well, I called the manager this morning and he said to just drop by. He'll probably talk to you a little and then he'll want to hear you sing."

Baekhyun started to panic. "Sing? A-already? But I haven't prepared anything! What will I sing?"

"Don't worry," Chanyeol's deep, soothing voice had an immediate calming effect on the smaller man. "I'll be accompanying you on guitar, and I already know you know the song because you sang it for me this morning."

"B-but Chanyeol... that song... it's a duet!" Baekhyun squeaked. "For a man and a woman! H-how..."

Chanyeol interrupted, "Shhh... I said not to worry. I might not have mentioned before, but I have a decent singing voice myself. I'll sing the male part. It's only on the refrain anyway."

Baekhyun was stunned. "But... when did you learn it?"

Chanyeol looked at the floor and ruffled the back of his curly, copper colored hair. "About two hours ago?" he answered sheepishly. Seeing Baekhyun's wide eyed confusion he explained, "I didn't know what kind of music you know or like except for that song so I thought it would make you more comfortable, but if you'd rather choose something el-"

"NO!" Baekhyun jumped in, waving his hands. "No, this is... it's perfect actually. It's my favorite song."

Baekhyun was left dumbfound as the giant grinned down at him. Standing before him (or rather towering over him) was a man who he barely knew, but who was willing to do all of this, for him. The cuddling yesterday, the caring conversation last night, the possibility of a job that Baekhyun might actually enjoy, and now he was going out of his way to learn Baekhyun's favorite song to help with his audition. It was overwhelming, and Baekhyun found himself in the unusual predicament of total speechlessness.

It didn't matter though, because at that moment Chanyeol gestured behind the short singer saying, "Ah, Minseok hyung. This is Baekhyun who I told you about this morning. Baekhyun, Minseok hyung. He's the manager here."

Baekhyun turned to find himself face to face with an adorable cherub. Minseok's large single lidded eyes, full cheeks, and quirky grin were not at all what Baekhyun had expected from the manager of a club. He was, for lack of a better word, cute.

"Hello," Minseok held out a hand to shake. "It's so nice to meet you." After a surprisingly firm handshake the older man turned to Chanyeol. "You didn't tell me your little friend is so attractive." Looking Baekhyun over with intense scrutiny he added, "With a little eyeliner he'll have even the straightest of our male patrons falling for him."

_Eyeliner? I have to wear makeup for this job?_  It wasn't that Baekhyun had a problem with makeup. He wore it sometimes, especially when heading out for the evening. He just never would have dreamed his job would require him to wear it regularly.

Minseok clapped, bringing Baekhyun back from his thoughts. "I hear you're quite a singer. Chanyeol practically gushed about you when he called." Baekhyun thought he could see the tall man attempting to hide his own face out of the corner of his eye even as his own cheeks were dusted with a bit of pink. "What do you like to sing?"

Immediately Baekhyun felt more at ease with the direction of the conversation. "Everything," he began. "I mostly sing ballads at home, but I'm capable of keeping up with faster paced, dance type music as well, and I have a pretty good mid-range... not too low or too high."

Minseok nodded as he listened. "And how about the hours? Are you free most evenings?"

"Yes," Baekhyun agreed instantly. "I don't have anything else going on at all so evenings are fine."

"Of course with the karaoke crowd on Fridays you'd have those nights off. Unless you wanted to serve drinks when you're not on stage. Some of our other employees do so to earn a little extra money."

"Maybe later on? I've never worked as a server or a bartender so I'm not sure how good I'd be at it." Baekhyun wanted to be completely honest with the manager.

"Sounds great!" Minseok rewarded Baekhyun with a gummy grin. "So, how about we hear what that pretty mouth can do?"

Minseok giggled at the disconcerted look on Baekhyun's face, but Chanyeol leaned down to ease his mind, whispering, "Don't worry, hyung's always like that. He's a shameless flirt but he's only playing." Baekhyun nodded and followed the giant as he pulled at the other's wrist to make their way up onto the stage.

 

While Chanyeol readied his guitar and adjusted the microphones, Minseok pulled a chair from the corner to seat himself right in front of the stage. Chanyeol tapped Baekhyun's shoulder. "Ready?"

"I... I guess so, yeah."

The song began and it was almost like it had been several hours ago, just the two of them in the bedroom. Baekhyun closed his eyes, took a deep breath and began to sing. He was doing well, too, until they came to the end of the first verse.

Baekhyun sang:

_We tried to take it slow but no_

and heard the stunning harmony of Chanyeol's rich baritone voice added to his own. It swirled into his ears and around his brain making him go slightly foggy. Had he not known the song so well he might have faltered, but when Chanyeol took over the beginning of the chorus to sing:

_This is gonna be our last mistake_

and then Baekhyun overlapped with: 

_We won't find out till it's too late_

Chanyeol:

_I wonder if he's gonna stay_

Baekhyun:

_I left before he was awake_

Baekhyun felt breathless. The whole rest of the song became a haze. As it ended, Baekhyun abruptly fainted, falling backward rapidly, and Chanyeol was just barely able to catch him under his arms before his head could crack against the wood floor of the stage.

 

Baekhyun could hear voices as slowly he regained consciousness . One soft voice was nearby but not too close, while the other voice seemed to rumble lowly from inside his own head.

"Does he have stage fright?" the softer voice asked with concern.

"I don't know. Honestly, I only met him yesterday. He didn't seem the shy type to me though." Baekhyun realized the closer voice was Chanyeol's, and the reason it felt like it was coming from inside his head was because his head was resting on the bigger man's chest.

Opening his eyes Baekhyun found himself still on the stage, behind the microphone but sitting on the floor, propped up with his back and head leaned against Chanyeol. "Hey, there you are," he heard from above him and from inside his head.

Baekhyun tried to sit up but was still too woozy so he dropped back against the giant once more. "Hey, what happened?"

"I believe you fainted, sweetheart," Minseok answered, an anxious look on his angelic face. "Did you lock your knees? Have you eaten today? Do you have problems with your blood pressure?" He fired off the questions so rapidly that Baekhyun's head continued to spin.

Finally, Baekhyun sat up and groaned out his answers. "No, yes, and no." He didn't want to elaborate on what had actually happened. It was embarrassing enough without having to explain it to Minseok, much less in front of Chanyeol, but based on the look he was getting from the manager he couldn't avoid it. He stood and grasped Minseok's shoulder, pulling him a little away from Chanyeol. "I... I hadn't heard Chanyeol sing before. It was just, uh... a little overwhelming."

Minseok briefly studied Baekhyun's face before nodding. "Well," he began, loud enough for Chanyeol to know he was now included in the conversation again, "I think this will work beautifully! Baekhyun, please spend some time with Chanyeol this coming week working on a set list and I will see you next Saturday night at 7:00 for sound check. Does that work for everyone?"

The two performers nodded. "Fantastic!" Minseok clapped again. "Chanyeol, you can have the night off. I'll see you tomorrow." And with that Minseok practically skipped away to his office in the back.

Chanyeol silently helped Baekhyun bundle himself up again for the walk home and they exited the club.


	5. 5

"We're back!" Baekhyun yelled as he burst through the door to Kyungsoo's apartment.

"And we brought pizza!" Chanyeol added with his trademark wide smile.

They were met with complete silence. Baekhyun checked the kitchen and living room before peeking into Kyungsoo's room and finding the place empty. "Guess it's just us," he said, shrugging his shoulders at Chanyeol.

The thought of being alone with Chanyeol after his little fainting spell earlier had Baekhyun's stomach in knots, but he had a job, dammit, and he wanted someone to celebrate with.

"Well, if Kyungie isn't here we can talk about our set list while we eat if you like." Chanyeol had hoped they would have a day or two to think on their own before getting down to business, but since the opportunity was right in front of them they should probably take advantage.

"Sure," Baekhyun agreed, dropping the pizza box on the kitchen table and grabbing the first slice. "I don't really know what kind of music they're looking for though. It might be best if you just made suggestions and then gave me a chance to rehearse."

Chanyeol nodded, taking a bite of his pizza. "I can do that for this week," he talked around the food in his mouth like a heathen, "but you should start adding your own style soon. Singers generally sound better when they're comfortable with the song selection."

Baekhyun agreed. He would probably visit the club at least once this week just to get a feel for it before searching out his own contributions to the show.

"Hey, what happened to you on stage?" Chanyeol had kept his mouth shut all afternoon, but his curiosity was getting the better of him.

Baekhyun swallowed his bite and looked down at his lap. He didn't know how to tell Chanyeol that it was his fault. Well, not his fault exactly, but technically he was the cause. "I... I don't know."

Chanyeol knew he was lying but couldn't think of any reason he would have to lie, unless he was trying to hide his stage fright. If so, this job would not be good for Baekhyun. The club could be quite crowded, especially on Saturday nights when Baekhyun would be starting. "Are you shy?"

Baekhyun shook his head without looking up.

"Are you sure? Because if you are-"

"I'm not shy," Baekhyun cut him off. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'm not shy about _performing_. I used to perform all the time in school."

"Then what is it?"

"Look can we just talk about something else?" Baekhyun was desperate to change the topic. He could feel a blush creeping up his neck.

Chanyeol didn't answer. He had learned this tactic from Kyungsoo. If he kept his mouth shut (a difficult job for him) then Baekhyun would surely break down and reveal whatever his problem was. He waited and watched and to his surprise, it worked.

"It was you. Your voice." The words came out a whisper, but with the silence of the apartment Chanyeol heard him clearly.

"My voice? I don't understand. My voice is so bad you fainted?"

Baekhyun heard the awkward bark of laughter leave his mouth but couldn't stop it. "No. No, no. That's not it." He giggled again.

"Then what?" Chanyeol's feelings were hurt. He knew his voice didn't really match his appearance, but he'd always thought people enjoyed hearing him sing. After all, he'd been working at the club for a couple of years now and none of the singers had complained when he backed them up. Even Kyungsoo didn't seem to mind, and he could be a demanding little bitch sometimes.

After a long pause and several false starts the words finally spilled rapidly from Baekhyun. "It's just, you're like, really good. Amazing actually. You blew me away, and I could hear our voices harmonizing in such a perfect way. I've never blended with anyone like that before. It was like I was hearing us as if I wasn't part of it and it was so beautiful and you were so beautiful and you were playing that damn guitar like you were born with it in your hands and then the song was over and everything went black."

A few moments of processing later there was only one phrase from the entire outburst that was rattling around in Chanyeol's head. "You think I'm beautiful?"

Baekhyun had been on the verge of hyperventilating since the second he stopped talking. He attempted to force himself take a deep breath but couldn't. Everything was spinning and this time he knew what was coming. He slid out of his chair to the floor and laid down, his head dropping with a thump as he lost consciousness again.

 

This time when he came to Baekhyun was in bed. His eyes fluttered opened to a view of the wall and the sensation of fingers gently brushing his fringe back from his forehead. There was that same low, rumbling voice behind him, humming a soft tune. It was alluring and soothing, and Baekhyun didn't want it to stop so he closed his eyes and pretended he was still asleep.

As the song finally ended Chanyeol sighed and laid on the bed behind Baekhyun. Long fingers continued to brush through the short hairs on the back of his head and down his sensitive neck while the other hand traced patterns on his back. Baekhyun reached back and touched Chanyeol's arm, stroking the veins on his inner wrist with his thumb as a sort of 'thank you' gesture.

He rolled over, meeting Chanyeol's troubled gaze. "I just hyperventilated that time. No need to worry about me." He let out a small, nervous laugh.

Chanyeol didn't even respond to the statement. He sighed again and mumbled, "You think I'm beautiful?"

Baekhyun inwardly cursed his uncontrollable babbling earlier. It's not that it wasn't true, but he hadn't intended to reveal so much to the giant who had invaded his mind ever since that first hug the day before. He realized he hadn't answered the question and Chanyeol was beginning to look like a kicked puppy. "I do," was all he could manage.

The smile that spread across Chanyeol's face was brighter than the sun, but he quickly toned it down, sensing how reluctant Baekhyun had been to admit to such a private thought. He wanted to reassure Baekhyun that it was safe to share his feelings so he decided to share a bit of his own.

"You know," he began, "I think you're beautiful too, and when you sang for me this morning I thought I was hearing an angel." He saw Baekhyun's blood rush towards his cheeks and ears. "I was even a little jealous of the way Minseok hyung was looking you over earlier."

"I-I... Thank you." Baekhyun didn't know what to say. He was terrible at taking compliments. He buried his face in the pillow, knowing that it was some shade of pink nearing fuscia. The mattress shifted and when he looked up Chanyeol was standing.

"Come finish eating. I put the pizza in the oven to keep it warm and Kyungie texted earlier. He'll probably be here any minute to help us celebrate."

Baekhyun crawled to his knees and hopped out of bed to follow Chanyeol back to the kitchen.

 

Following a celebratory movie and stuffing themselves with as much pizza as they could possibly eat, Chanyeol bid the other two goodnight, promising to call Baekhyun the next day to talk over some song choices. Finally alone with his friend, Baekhyun resolved to confront Kyungsoo about his relationship with Chanyeol. He still couldn't shake the feeling that Kyungsoo was somehow jealous over Chanyeol.

"Yeolie says you met at the club... That you sing with him sometimes?"

Kyungsoo hummed, "Mm, not often. I just needed an outlet to sing. When life stresses me out singing is the only thing that smooths out the rough edges."

Baekhyun knew that feeling. There had been days in the past few months in particular when he would lock himself in a room with his headphones and just sing until he forgot the whole world.

"He's a good accompanist," Kyungsoo added. "He feels the music more than most musicians. He feels it in his heart."

"He has such a pretty voice too."

Kyungsoo looked up at his friend, studying him. "I suppose so. I prefer to sing with tenors. We tend to balance better."

"Do you have feelings for Chanyeol?"

Kyungsoo's eyes were so wide that they could have popped right out of his head. "No! Why would you think that?"

"It's just, this morning at breakfast... a-and you seemed so concerned about the two of us... and I thought you might be... jealous?" Now Baekhyun felt horrible for having brought it up.

"Look, Baek. I'm just worried about my friends. I know how hard the past few months have been on you and now the break up... I'm not sure you're ready to jump into a new relationship feet first, and on top of that Chanyeol is a really great guy and I'd hate to see him hurt just because you realize too late that he's just a rebound fling."

Baekhyun turned those thoughts over in his mind for a moment before sputtering out, "Wait, you think I want to date Chanyeol?"

"Maybe," Kyungsoo paused, "but I'm sure Chanyeol wants to date you."

Kyungsoo had known Chanyeol for awhile now and only once had he seen him look at anyone with the same adoration he shows toward Baekhyun. Several months back there had been a regular patron at the club who had caught Chanyeol's eye and the tall man had pursued the boy relentlessly before discovering the kid was in a relationship. It had broken Chanyeol's heart. He had spent nearly two weeks at Kyungsoo's apartment, refusing to go home where he would have to be alone.

Baekhyun was only slightly surprised by this revelation. After all the giant had called him an angel just a few hours ago after knowing him for just over a day. "I think I need to be alone for a bit." Baekhyun rose from his spot on the couch and waved over his shoulder at his friend. "Night, Soo."

"See you in the morning, Baek." Kyungsoo called, knowing that this whole situation was leading nowhere good.

Once in his room, Baekhyun quickly slipped into his pajamas and slid under the covers. The day had been long and stressful and he was certainly tired, but he found himself unable to fall asleep. It was only after an hour of staring at the ceiling that he realized why he couldn't sleep. The bed was too cold.


	6. 6

Baekhyun grumbled as he rolled out of bed at nearly 10:30 the next morning. He had barely slept, only drifting in and out of consciousness for half an hour here and an hour there throughout the night. When he reached the bathroom and caught sight of himself in the mirror he almost yelped in surprise. He had dark bags under his eyes and his skin was even more pallid than usual. Even his hair was frightening, sticking up in every possible direction from the constant friction against the pillow all night.

He brushed his teeth and hopped in the shower, allowing the warm water to wash away the tension in his muscles, the steam soothing his throat. He had forgotten how singing without warming up could affect his vocal chords. He would remember to warm up before his rehearsals with Chanyeol.

Chanyeol. Now that the man had entered his mind the thoughts were hard to shake. He was instantly assaulted with visions of the giant with his big ears and wide grin, his endearing twitchy eye, and that messy mop of curly, copper colored hair. He couldn't shake his grin.

Baekhyun quickly finished his shower, drying off and dressing in layers to ward off the chill in the apartment. He entered the kitchen to find breakfast on the table along with a note.

_Baek,_

_I have some errands to run today. I'll be out most of the day but let's have dinner together tonight._

_Soo_

He grabbed his plate and took it into the living room so he could channel surf while he ate. The moment he got settled on the couch his phone vibrated next to him. Unlocking it he found a message from Chanyeol.

**"Hey, I've got some songs to go over with you when you have time. You could come over here to rehearse if you're free."**

_If I'm free? What kind of plans does he think I would have?_

Baekhyun quickly replied.

**"Sure. What time?"**

He ate a few bites of his breakfast while he flipped channels on the television, waiting for an answer. Finally the phone buzzed again.

**"An hour? Is that enough time for you to bundle up in all your layers and make it over here?"**

Baekhyun giggled.

**"Of course. I'm already half-bundled. Send me the address and I'll see you in an hour."**

He washed his plate and prepared to leave, adding his thick coat, scarf, and mittens before locking the door and making his way toward the address Chanyeol had messaged to him.

Chanyeol's place wasn't far, but was in the opposite direction from the club, placing Kyungsoo's apartment about halfway between Chanyeol's and the club. When he arrived, Baekhyun removed his mittens to knock on the door and began unwrapping his scarf. A few seconds later he was startled by the sight of Chanyeol dressed in nothing but faded jeans and a tank top, his hair pulled up into a knot high on the back of his head. Baekhyun could see his prominent collar bones and the lean muscles in his arms and shoulders and had to swallow to calm himself before speaking.

"H-hey." It came out embarrassingly shaky and breathy. His cheeks heated up at the awkwardness of his own voice. Chanyeol just grinned widely and stepped aside to invite him in.

Baekhyun removed his shoes, scarf, coat, and even his sweater as he realized how warm it actually was in the room. He wondered if Chanyeol had raised the heat just for him but dismissed the idea quickly.

The apartment was larger than Baekhyun had expected for the single occupant and surprisingly neat. In the back of the living room was a drum kit, beside the television were a couple of guitar cases and an amp, and against the wall beside the hallway leading to the bedrooms stood an upright piano. Sheet music covered nearly every surface in tidy stacks. Some of the pieces looked to be original compositions, written in pencil on printed staff paper.

"Have a seat," Chanyeol gestured toward the couch as he grabbed a stack of music from the kitchen table. They made their way to the living room and sat on opposite ends of the couch.

"So these are all in your range," Chanyeol began, placing the stack between them. "There's an even mix of piano and guitar accompaniment. We'll also have Yixing with us to play bass or guitar. Since it's a Saturday night set I've tried to include mostly upbeat stuff that people can dance to. A few of them will require that I sing with you, so if we choose those we'll need to practice them more." Chanyeol blushed slightly and looked away as he remembered how his voice affected Baekhyun.

It was a lot of information to process. Baekhyun nodded to show he understood, but then paused and asked, "Yixing?"

"Oh, he's one of the other club employees. He's nice but a little spacey. You'll like him, trust me." Chanyeol waved his hand as if it wasn't important. "Anyway, you can look over this stuff for a bit. Let me know if you want to hear something. We'll need about ten songs so just set aside your favorites and then we can run through them when you're done."

Baekhyun nodded and immediately started shuffling through the pile of papers. Chanyeol, not knowing how to occupy himself (obviously rehearsing would be a huge distraction) while the smaller man studied, just watched. He was fascinated by the look of concentration on Baekhyun's face as he separated the sheets into two smaller stacks, heard a few lines hummed here and there while he tried to determine if he knew the song or not.

Chanyeol realized that his staring was verging on creepy and excused himself to the bedroom. He was stunned when just a few moments later the piano came alive. It was more than just the vocal melody most singers learn to plonk out on the keys. The whole song flowed out, the only thing actually missing were the lyrics as Baekhyun toyed with the melody on an 'ooh' to get the feel of it.

After a page or so Baekhyun switched to another song. His concentration was so intense that he didn't notice Chanyeol returning to the living room, making his way to one of the guitars. The strumming of chords from the couch momentarily distracted Baekhyun from singing, but his fingers continued to work the keys as the two played their way through the entire piece together. When it was over, Baekhyun turned on the piano bench to face Chanyeol.

"Wow," they breathed out in unison and the butterfly wings were back in Baekhyun's tummy as he rose and took quick strides towards Chanyeol. His long, delicate fingers brushed up Chanyeol's neck to lift his chin and he leaned down to press their lips together in the gentlest kiss either had ever experienced. Both men shut their eyes to just savor the warmth that flowed through them, beginning where their lips were joined and spreading like wildfire, inflaming every inch of their skin.

Chanyeol gazed up with glassy eyes as Baekhyun broke away flushed and trembling. Suddenly the room was too hot for Baekhyun, something that rarely happened, and he was desperate to get out of the apartment and inhale some less stifling air. He bolted for the doorway before Chanyeol could react, grabbing his shoes, phone, and keys as he ran as fast as he could back to Kyungsoo's apartment while Chanyeol was left alone and confused on his couch, clutching his guitar to keep his grip on reality. It was then he noticed that Baekhyun had forgotten all his layers of clothes.


	7. 7

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_  Baekhyun berated himself. He fought the urge to smack himself in the head knowing that the strangers he passed on the sidewalk would probably think he had lost his mind. But then, maybe he _had_ lost his mind.

The kiss was so spontaneous and out of character for him. He had never thrown himself at someone so impulsively. How could he even be in the same room with Chanyeol when he affected him so? Would it get better or worse as he spent more time with the man? Perhaps this job was a bad idea. It would be humiliating to lose control and find themselves snogging in front of an audience.

Suddenly Baekhyun realized he was freezing, shivering uncontrollably, his teeth chattering. All of his warm layers were still hanging by the door in Chanyeol's apartment. It was only two more blocks to Kyungsoo's place, but he wasn't sure he would make it and was debating ducking into the cafe at the next corner to warm up when he heard someone behind him yelling his name.

"Baek!" Chanyeol called. "Baekhyun, wait up! You forgot your coat!"

Baekhyun stopped to turn around. As Chanyeol reached him he quickly draped the coat around the man's petite frame. Baekhyun looked down at the pavement, embarrassed by his own actions. First the kiss and then his panicked escape, but Chanyeol seemed to understand.

"Look, maybe you think that was a mistake, and if you do that's okay. I get that it's confusing because I'm confused too. We can pretend it didn't happen," Chanyeol assured him, "but you should know that I won't be able to forget it."

"You don't have to forget, but let's not talk about it... And definitely don't tell Soo." Baekhyun shivered some more.

"Come back and get your stuff at least," Chanyeol suggested, then chuckled as he added, "You probably won't be able to leave your building without your scarf and mittens anyway. I could only grab the coat or I wouldn't have caught up with you."

Baekhyun nodded and they turned to make their way back to Chanyeol's building. They didn't speak, but thankfully the silence wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as Baekhyun had expected.

"You don't have to leave," Chanyeol finally uttered as they entered the elevator. Baekhyun looked up, trying to read the giant's expression. "I mean, you can if you want to. I won't keep you."

Baekhyun had to resist blurting out his first thought,  _You can keep me if you want._  It was difficult to control his mouth. He was used to speaking before thinking.

"I guess we didn't really finish our work. I can stay." Chanyeol's shoulders slumped in relief. "Also, I'd like to use that song in our set. I'd never heard it before. I think it will be perfect for us."

A soft grin appeared as Chanyeol responded, "Only if you'll play the piano. I didn't know you could play. It was... stunning."

"Mm, deal."

 

After two hours or so of playing around with the different pieces Chanyeol had picked out the two had agreed on their set list and Baekhyun was feeling confident about his first night of work. He made his way back home in time to find Kyungsoo unpacking groceries in the kitchen.

"I thought I could cook tonight," he explained and Baekhyun nodded enthusiastically, making Kyungsoo's lips lift into an attractive, heart-shaped smile. "Kimchi bokkeumbap sound okay?"

"Are you kidding?" Baekhyun practically jumped up and down with excitement. "Do you know how long it's been since I've had your kimchi bokkeumbap? Way too long! You know it's one of my favorites!"

Kyungsoo just laughed and shooed Baekhyun away from the food. "You're such a disaster in the kitchen your mere presence could ruin the meal. Go get comfortable and find us a movie to watch while I cook."

Baekhyun changed into sweats and soon the two were settled on opposite ends of the couch with an action movie playing on the television. "Soo... you're really the best cook ever," Baekhyun said through a mouthful of rice. Kyungsoo just smiled.

When they finished eating Baekhyun settled sideways on the couch with his feet up in Kyungsoo's lap. It was a comfortable position that they had occupied many times and Baekhyun found himself suddenly sleepy. His eyelids drooped and his head began to drop backwards. He heard Kyungsoo sigh, felt his feet lifted so that the other could rise, and then he was being pulled up from the couch and helped into bed.

 

_What is that noise?_  Chanyeol wondered in his half-awake state. He reached for his phone on the nightstand to check the time and realized it was actually an incoming text message.  _From Baekhyun? Why is he texting me at 3:00 in the morning?_

**"I can't sleep."**

Chanyeol's heart leapt. He answered quickly.

**"What's up? Too cold?"**

**"Not exactly..."**

_Is he being intentionally cryptic?_

**"Ooookay... ?"**

_What did he wake me up for anyway?_

**"I miss you."**

Chanyeol stopped breathing. Surely he'd read wrong. He looked again.

**"I miss you."**

A smile crept up slowly, one so wide it threatened to break his whole face, but then it faltered slightly as he tried to think of a response. He was spared a moment later when another message arrived.

**"Come over?"**

 

Baekhyun waited on the couch for Chanyeol to arrive. He'd woken abruptly with the most intense sense of need he'd ever felt. The bed was cold again, yes, but it was more than that. Chanyeol's image had been mentally tattooed onto the backs of his eyelids, the way he'd looked when he'd opened the door for Baekhyun the previous afternoon. He had blindly groped at the nightstand for his phone to text Chanyeol. Relief had flooded through him as the phone buzzed in his hand, Chanyeol's response.

 

Chanyeol let himself in quietly and removed his shoes and jacket to join Baekhyun. Seating himself on the opposite end of the couch he simply waited.

"Hey," Baekhyun said softly with a shy glance at the other's face.

Chanyeol hummed back, searching Baekhyun's expression.

"I-I couldn't... I m-mean I-I..." Baekhyun tried to explain but he kept stuttering. He took a deep, steadying breath and began again. "I was asleep earlier, but I woke up."

Chanyeol nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"You know, dreams are like smoke. Once you wake they start to dissipate." Chanyeol was lost. "So I'm not sure what the dream was exactly, but I know you were there and that I had this feeling... a feeling that because you were there everything was... I don't know... good... right." Baekhyun looked up and directly into Chanyeol's deep, dark chocolate eyes as if searching for something for a few seconds before dropping his gaze to watch his hands. "And then when I woke up alone... nothing was good or right anymore."

"Mm..." Chanyeol hummed and nodded once more. He moved a pillow to the end of the couch and leaned back on it, then held his arms out to Baekhyun who scurried across to drape himself over the taller man, his head supported by Chanyeol's chest and their legs tangled together. Chanyeol's hands came down to rest on Baekhyun's back. For a few long minutes they didn't move, just relished the feel of each other. Baekhyun's breathing slowly became deep and even and Chanyeol realized that the smaller man had fallen asleep.

Chanyeol didn't really understand Baekhyun's explanation. All he knew was that something had spurred him to seek Chanyeol out. He worried that this was just a lingering loneliness from Baekhyun's ended relationship. Maybe in the morning he would feel differently, wouldn't want Chanyeol there anymore, and to save himself the pain perhaps Chanyeol should just go on home.

Lifting Baekhyun carefully just as he'd done a few nights ago, Chanyeol carried the man to bed and settled him under the covers. He was turning to go when Baekhyun's hand shot up to grab his wrist. He pulled him down onto the bed, mumbling, "Stay. Please."

Chanyeol settled into the bed behind Baekhyun and wrapped an arm around him to pull him against his chest and soon they were both drifting off to sleep.


	8. 8

Baekhyun was once again startled awake, this time by the sound of the apartment door slamming as Kyungsoo left for work. He rolled over to check on Chanyeol and was relieved to find him still sleeping comfortably. He looked so peaceful in his sleep that Baekhyun couldn't help but smile. He reached up and brushed Chanyeol's disheveled hair out of his face and proceeded to run his fingers through the locks, lightly massaging his scalp as he went. It surprised Baekhyun that even this didn't wake Chanyeol.  _He must sleep like the dead._

As Baekhyun continued playing with the taller man's hair, his attention was drawn to that beautiful, relaxed face. He noticed that even in sleep Chanyeol seemed to smile. Baekhyun sighed and went to remove his hand from Chanyeol's head so he could stretch, but before he had completely extracted his hand from the curls he found long fingers surrounding his wrist.

"Don't stop," Chanyeol mumbled, pulling Baekhyun's hand back down toward his head. "Feels so good."

"Give me a second to stretch," Baekhyun giggled, prying the fingers from his wrist.

Baekhyun extended his arms up over his head and arched his back while Chanyeol rolled over to face the door. Baekhyun returned to trailing his fingers through Chanyeol's hair, down his neck, and across his shoulders. Chanyeol let out a soft moan, urging the other to continue.  _I could get used to that sound,_  Baekhyun thought.

After several minutes of being stroked like a pet, Chanyeol rolled back over to look at Baekhyun's face.

"I thought you liked it. Why did you make me stop?"

"I'm hungry," Chanyeol pouted. "Let's go see if Kyungie made any breakfast."

 

"I have to head out soon," Chanyeol informed the singer over breakfast, which turned out to be cereal because Kyungsoo had not cooked. Baekhyun looked a bit disappointed, but Chanyeol assured him he would be back after work and that he would stay as long as he was wanted. "I'm sorry Baek. I would stay longer, but I have an appointment this afternoon and work tonight."

Chanyeol had made a decision after waking up to Baekhyun's affectionate attention, that whether or not Baekhyun had real feelings for him, he would continue to be a friend and comforter (and possibly more) for the other until either Baekhyun no longer needed him or it became too painful. He promised himself he would never make the first move, would always allow Baekhyun to be in control of the amount of physical interaction. He could only hope that over time Baekhyun's would begin to feel the same kind of attachment to Chanyeol that the latter already felt toward Baekhyun.

Baekhyun hugged Chanyeol at the door, thanking him again for, well, everything, and after closing and locking the door he leaned his back against it and slid down to the floor. He suddenly felt gloomy and exhausted. Several minutes passed before he finally forced himself into motion, heading toward the bathroom for a shower, hoping it would lighten his mood.

 

Chanyeol hurried to his appointment with his older sister. He knew she did not like to be kept waiting and he was dangerously close to being late. He swung around the last corner and into the salon at a run, causing stylists and clients to stare at him as he attempted to catch his breath while leaning on the front counter. Just then his sister emerged from the back of the salon.

"Channie!" she cried as she rushed toward him at a dangerous speed considering the height of her heels. "I'm so glad you called!" She said as she picked at his copper locks, frowning at the visible roots. "You really shouldn't stay away so long," she giggled.

"I know Noona, I'm sorry, but you've been booked up and you're the only one I trust with my hair."

"Well let's get started, I've cleared the afternoon just for you."

She walked Chanyeol over to the wash station and rested his neck on a towel to shampoo his hair. As her fingers worked the shampoo into a lather Chanyeol couldn't help but think how much better Baekhyun's fingers had felt in his hair.

"So, what are we doing today?" his sister asked.

"Whatever you want Noona. Just make me look good. I have someone to impress."  _Oops! Didn't mean to let that slip out. That's sure to lead to a phone call from Eomma._

"Oh?" Chanyeol immediately noticed her  _this-is-juicy-gossip_ voice.

He tried to play it off as nothing important. "Mm, just an offer for a gig, but it's a really fancy shindig so I need to dazzle the client." Thankfully she instantly lost interest as soon as Chanyeol mentioned a gig. She had never been interested in his music.

"Well, I'll make you look so good they'll book you in advance for every party they ever throw."

She seated Chanyeol in front of the mirror and draped a cape around his shoulders. After several minutes of frowning at his head she finally made a decision and began snipping away.

 

The only way Baekhyun could think to occupy his time was to rehearse. He had downloaded all of the songs he and Chanyeol had chosen for his first night of work and was playing them on a loop while trying to memorize lyrics. Between his own voice and the music pumping from the bluetooth speaker on his nightstand he failed to hear Kyungsoo return home from work. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he looked up to find the younger man standing in the doorway.

He yelped as he turned the music down. "Yah! You scared me! What the hell are you doing home already?"

"Language," Kyungsoo reprimanded, pointing at the clock. "How long have you been in here trying to damage your hearing?"

Baekhyun hadn't realized it was nearly 6:00. "Most of the day," he answered sheepishly.

Kyungsoo just shook his head. He felt like the mother of a teenager. "I noticed Chanyeol came over sometime this morning."

Waves of embarrassment swept over Baekhyun. He looked down at the bed and felt a blush burning his cheeks. "Yeah. He's just so... "

"I know." Kyungsoo finished the thought. "He's a genuinely sweet and caring guy." _Please don't hurt him Baek_.

Baekhyun hummed in agreement.

"Would you like to go out tonight?"

"No offense Soo, but I'm not really in the mood to go out." Baekhyun had been feeling a little blue all day and really just wanted to curl up on the couch until Chanyeol could come over, but apparently that was not the answer Kyungsoo was looking for.

"Wasn't a question. Get dressed Baek. We're leaving in 45 minutes." Kyungsoo said over his shoulder as he walked across the hall, slamming his bedroom door behind him.

An hour later Kyungsoo exited the building practically dragging Baekhyun behind him.

"It's cold," the older whined.

"You always think it's cold. Shut up and walk already so we'll get there faster."

That made sense to Baekhyun and he finally stopped forcing Kyungsoo to haul him along. Once he was walking alongside his friend he realized where they were headed. "We're going to the club?"

"Where did you think I was taking you?" Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. "It's open mic night. I need to sing."

The club wasn't very busy yet as it was still pretty early on a Monday. As they entered Kyungsoo was nearly knocked over by a tall, tan young man who siezed him in a giant bear hug.

"Kyungie! Where have you been?"

The smile that spread across his friend's face made Baekhyun snicker. "Sorry, Jongin. I've been really busy. It's good to see you too, but can you let go? It's kinda hard to breathe." Jongin quickly released the shorter man and noticed Kyungsoo was not alone. His smile disappeared and his expression turned downright frosty. Sensing his discomfort, Kyungsoo introduced the two. "Jongin, this is my friend Baekhyun. He's staying with me for awhile and I thought we could both use a night out."

Jongin merely nodded at Baekhyun then turned back to Kyungsoo. "Are you singing tonight? Please tell me you came to sing!"

Kyungsoo laughed. "Of course. Have you seen Yixing? He said he'd play for me tonight."

Baekhyun recognized that name. Chanyeol had mentioned him. Then it registered in his slow brain that Chanyeol was supposed to work tonight. This would be Baekhyun's first opportunity to really hear Chanyeol play and suddenly he couldn't wait for the music to begin.

"Baek!" Kyungsoo yelled, snapping his fingers in front of Baekhyun's eyes.

"Yes?"

"I said I'm going with Jongin to look for Yixing. Will you be okay here by yourself?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'll be back soon."

As Baekhyun watched his friend trail behind Jongin toward the stage at the back of the club he wondered what kind of relationship the two had. After their conversation the other night about Kyungsoo and Chanyeol's friendship he thought it was best if he just waited for Kyungsoo to explain and decided to head to the bar for a drink. When he approached, the bartender looked up and a lopsided grin, more gums than teeth appeared on his face.

"Well hello there sunshine!" Minseok greeted him. "I didn't think I'd get to see your pretty face until Saturday. Lucky me, hmm?"

Baekhyun giggled. "Hey hyung. Is Chanyeol here?"

"Mhmm, he's in the back getting ready, but he'll be on stage in a few minutes. Go find a table and I'll bring you a drink"

"Thanks hyung."

Baekhyun found a table near the stage and sat to wait. Kyungsoo returned and took a seat next to Baekhyun as Minseok arrived with drinks and joined them. Baekhyun had no idea what kind of drink he had been handed but it was almost neon green and cloudy and when he sipped it he was pleasantly surprised by how fruity it tasted. "It's watermelon," Minseok leaned over to whisper in his ear. 

"It's good," Baekhyun said and smiled.

Just then the first performer stepped up on stage, followed by his two accompanists. The shorter of the two was all lean muscles like a dancer and had shaggy black hair that caused him to toss his head back constantly to keep the fringe out of his face. Baekhyun felt the need to give him a clip to hold it back just so the guy could see to play. The man reached for the bass guitar and just as Baekhyun had come to the conclusion on his own, Kyungsoo leaned over and pointed, "That's Yixing."

Baekhyun nodded as his attention drifted to the other accompanist. He was very tall and thin, dressed in dark skinny jeans and a t-shirt with a band logo on the front that was tight enough to reveal his muscular biceps and flat stomach. His hair was straight and a deep chestnut brown with hints of red highlights that fell just around his ears and swept sideways across his forehead and over his right eye. Baekhyun thought he'd never seen a more appealing person in his life, and when the guitarist looked up his heart nearly stopped. 

"Chanyeol?"


	9. 9

Baekhyun couldn't pry his eyes away from Chanyeol as he played. He was truly gorgeous. The calm expression on his face announced that this is where he belongs, on stage with the guitar in his hands. Truthfully the singer wasn't very good, but it didn't matter to Baekhyun because all he could hear was Chanyeol and his guitar. The chorus came and Chanyeol angled toward the microphone to add a low harmony.

Just then, Minseok leaned back to speak into Baekhyun's ear. "I see he still makes your head spin, mm?" The younger man just nodded, still gawking at the magnificent giant on the stage.

Several songs later it was Kyungsoo's turn to perform. He had planned his duet with Yixing in advance, allowing Chanyeol a short break. As he stepped down from the stage he caught sight of Baekhyun blatantly staring at him and his face flushed. Upon realizing that Chanyeol was heading straight for the chair beside him, Baekhyun dropped his gaze to his forgotten drink.

As Chanyeol took his seat Minseok turned to speak to him. "You're getting quite a lot of attention tonight," he said. Chanyeol shrugged and ducked his head down. "Seriously," Minseok insisted. "Every single person in here must have their eyes on you."

"It's... unsettling, if you want to know the truth," Chanyeol admitted. "I'm more used to being in the background."

"You should never be in the background," Baekhyun mumbled, but Chanyeol couldn't respond because he was needed back on stage.

When the next performer began her song Minseok motioned to Baekhyun to join him at the bar. He grabbed his drink and followed.

"I was wondering if you and Chanyeol had had a chance to rehearse yet?"

"Just once," Baekhyun confessed.

"I only ask because it's a slow night. There are only two more performers signed up for open mic, and," Minseok hesitated a bit but then continued, "I was thinking if you had a couple of songs ready maybe we could take this opportunity to give the customers a little preview of Saturday night's show." Sensing his uncertainty Minseok tried to encourage him. "You could use your audition song if that makes it easier."

Baekhyun chewed his lip as he considered the suggestion. He took a long look at Chanyeol. "If Chanyeol agrees then I'm on board."

Minseok beamed. "Oh, yay! I was just sure you'd say no." He chuckled and leaned in to give Baekhyun a quick peck on his cheek. "Be ready to go on in about fifteen minutes."

Baekhyun downed his drink and motioned the other bartender for another as he watched Minseok bouncing toward the office. He hoped a little alcohol would dull his reaction to Chanyeol's voice. At the very least it would be a good excuse for the color in his cheeks.

 

Chanyeol and Baekhyun only had a couple of minutes to discuss their song choices, but their best options were pretty clear anyway. There was already a keyboard set up on the stage for Baekhyun. He just had one tiny request for Chanyeol.

"Please, can you stand somewhere out of my line of sight?"

Chanyeol tilted his head. "Why?"

"Because I'm nervous and seeing you all... fuck, do you know how hot you look? It makes it impossible for me to concentrate."

Red crept up Chanyeol's neck as he nodded. "I'll do my best."

Minseok was standing behind the microphone, announcing that tonight was a special treat. "Our newest vocalist is here to tease your ears. If you like what you hear tonight you'll have to come back on Saturday to hear the full performance. Ladies and gentlemen, Byun Baekhyun!"

With Chanyeol on his heels, Baekhyun climbed onto the stage and walked over to the microphone. He smiled at the crowd and then closed his eyes, waiting for Chanyeol to begin. Baekhyun was prepared this time when their voices layered together flawlessly. He remembered the lyrics to their new song with ease. Thankfully they managed to get through both songs without any obvious complications. It was only after when the trouble started.

The two made their way back down the steps and through the club, heading toward a door that led to an alley behind the building. Chanyeol had intended to get some fresh air and was not even aware of Baekhyun trailing behind him until there was a hand around his wrist, pulling him back.  _Being short sucks,_  Baekhyun thought as he stood on his toes while reaching his other hand up to pull Chanyeol down by his neck, crashing their lips together.

Chanyeol stiffened momentarily, then leaned closer. He threaded his fingers into Baekhyun's hair and tilted his head slightly so their noses were no longer in the way. He tried to allow Baekhyun control, opening his mouth when the smaller man nipped at his bottom lip. Chanyeol groaned when he tasted watermelon as Baekhyun's tongue explored inside his mouth, and he couldn't resist the urge to suck it gently. With a moan of his own, Baekhyun brushed his hands down Chanyeol's sides, resting them on his hips. Baekhyun moved his lips to Chanyeol's ear, grazing the lobe with his teeth before trailing wet kisses down his neck, across his collar bone, and back up toward his other ear. 

"Baek," Chanyeol warned, feeling his pants becoming uncomfortably tight. He did not want his first time with Baekhyun to be in an alley, but the latter didn't seem to be listening. "Seriously, Baek, stop for a second." Chanyeol nudged his shoulder and Baekhyun looked up at him, his pupils blown wide with lust.

As the contact between them lessened Chanyeol's brain regained some function, and the watermelon he had tasted set off an alarm in his head.

"Baekhyun, how many of Minseok's drinks did you have?" Minseok's special cocktail was deceptively strong. Chanyeol had seen Yixing nearly pass out after just one.

Baekhyun giggled as he leaned toward Chanyeol's ear again. "Only two," he murmured.

Chanyeol groaned in frustration and rolled his eyes as he lifted Baekhyun over his shoulder, triggering another round of giggles from the shorter man. He decided it would be best to take Baekhyun straight home rather than back into the club where the customers might see him in his drunken state.

Somehow he managed to get all the way to Kyungsoo's apartment before Baekhyun realized they had left the club. As Chanyeol lowered him to his feet in the elevator Baekhyun began to pout. "I was having fun, Yeooooooolie! Take me back!"

"Not unless you can prove you're sober."

Even through the haze of alcohol Baekhyun knew that wasn't possible. Besides, he was already starting to feel sleepy. He allowed Chanyeol to help him into the bedroom where he flopped on the bed face down, out cold.

Chanyeol sighed, bending down to remove Baekhyun's shoes. He rolled him over toward the near edge of the bed and pulled down the duvet. Rolling him back toward the wall, he covered him and adjusted the pillow beneath his head. He brushed the hair away from his forehead and leaned down to place a soft kiss against the smaller man's temple before going to make up the couch for the night.


	10. 10

Chanyeol was too hot, probably the hottest he'd ever been in Kyungsoo's chilly apartment. He moved to uncover himself, kicking at the blanket to expose his legs, only to find himself pinned down, a head of dark brown hair resting just below his chin. He stilled instantly. Baekhyun was sleeping peacefully, and he didn't want to disturb him. Chanyeol rested his hands on Baekhyun's shoulder blades and leaned his head back against his pillow as the smaller man nuzzled deeper into his chest, tightening his hold around the giant.

Just as he was about to doze off again he felt the smaller man tense against him, fingers clutching Chanyeol's t-shirt near his ribs as he whimpered in his sleep.  _A dream?_ Thankfully Baekhyun relaxed again, but before Chanyeol could do the same he heard Baekhyun mumbling.

"Yeolie... So warm... Stay... Always..."

He couldn't make out every word, but it was enough. His heart raced, beating so loud he was sure it would wake Baekhyun. He forced himself to keep still and breathe regularly until his heart rate was under control. When he had finally calmed down he pressed his lips to the top of Baekhyun's head gently and whispered, "I'll stay as long as you want me." Chanyeol drifted contentedly back to sleep.

 

"Yah!" Both men jolted awake at the sound of Kyungsoo's voice. "There's a bed in the other room! What are you doing on my couch?"

Chanyeol attempted to rise but was pushed into the cushions as Baekhyun snuggled back down into his chest.

"Was cold," he murmured.

"So wake up your heater and take him to the bed! I don't need to see this!" Kyungsoo covered his eyes dramatically and turned to make his way to the bathroom.

"The way I see it we have two options," Chanyeol said. "We can go back to the bedroom or get up, because if we're still here when Kyungie gets out of the shower, you may have to find a new place to crash."

Baekhyun sighed. "But you're so comfortable," he whined.

"Bed it is." Chanyeol struggled to his feet with Baekhyun still wrapped around him and moved them to the bedroom, closing the door behind them before lowering the koala to the bed.

"Wanna finish what we started in the alley?" Baekhyun wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Chanyeol blushed and looked away, ruffling his hair. "You remember the alley?"

"Of course!" Baekhyun sounded offended. He propped himself on his elbows to glare at Chanyeol. "I wasn't drunk, just a little tipsy. I can hold my liquor, thank you."

"So you mean you... you meant to do all that? It wasn't just the alcohol?"  _You actually wanted me?_

"Oh, I meant to do more. You stopped me before I had the chance."

Baekhyun climbed to his feet on the bed, for once towering over the taller man. He placed his hands on Chanyeol's shoulders and leaned down to bring their lips together. The kiss was softer than the previous evening, their movements more languid. Baekhyun's hands slid up Chanyeol's neck and his fingers threaded into his hair. As Chanyeol reached for his waist, Baekhyun stepped forward one step too far, and _THUMP!_  he crashed to the floor.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?" Chanyeol frantically tried to help the smaller man up.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Baekhyun muttered, embarrassed once again. "Just obviously terrible at judging distances." He would have liked to blame Chanyeol for being overly timid and standing too far from the bed, but honestly he was too distracted to have seen the edge of the bed anyway.

"Breakfast!" Kyungsoo shouted from the other side of the door.

At the thought of food Baekhyun's stomach betrayed him and rumbled loudly.

"I was going to suggest we ignore Soo," Chanyeol said, "but clearly you're starving. Let's go eat."

Baekhyun scowled but followed Chanyeol anyway. Kyungsoo was walking out the door as they entered the kitchen.

" _Please_  don't defile my apartment while I'm gone. You _will_ regret it," he warned as he left.

 

Baekhyun was sad to learn during breakfast that he wouldn't be able to spend the day showing Chanyeol just what he had intended to do in that alley.

"Sorry, but I have errands to run today," Chanyeol said through a mouthful of rice.

_Seriously, who taught this kid table manners,_  Baekhyun thought.

"It's okay." He tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice, but he knew he had failed. "I should probably spend some time rehearsing anyway," he muttered to the table.

Chanyeol reached over and used a finger to tilt Baekhyun's face up until their eyes met.

"I'll be back as soon as I'm done working tonight, and then _... then_ we'll talk about continuing what you started in the alley."

Baekhyun nodded in agreement.

"Hey," Chanyeol swiftly changed the subject, "I was going to mention this earlier, but I got distracted. We sounded amazing last night!"

Baekhyun's cheeks heated. "Yeah, we did. And I didn't do anything embarrassing on stage... like, you know... pass out."  _Or jump you in front of everyone._  "Mm! That reminds me. Who is Jongin?"

"Uh, part-time bartender and Kyungie's biggest fan?" Chanyeol chuckled. "Anytime Kyungsoo is at the club Jongin follows him around like a puppy. I think Kyungie likes it."

Baekhyun giggled. "I think so too. You should have seen his face light up when Jongin hugged him last night."

"And to think you were worried there was something between Kyungie and me," Chanyeol shook his head.

 

Chanyeol stayed long enough to help with the dishes before he reluctantly said goodbye, leaving Baekhyun alone in the apartment yet again. The singer was determined not to dwell on Chanyeol's absence. After all, he would be returning in less than twelve hours. Baekhyun needed to learn patience.  _Ugh! When did I become so clingy?_

He shivered as he peeled his clothes off to shower and stepped under the hot water as quickly as possible. The cold had reminded him of his dream from earlier that morning. He mindlessly washed himself as he tried to piece the dream together.

_Baekhyun was standing in the middle of a park. The ground was covered in white with snowflakes still falling from the sky. He was lost and freezing. He must have been outside for awhile and had forgotten his coat. His teeth were clattering together as he shuddered against the cold; ungloved fingers felt like they were turning into icicles. He wanted to run to the nearest shop and go inside where it was heated, but no matter which way he turned there were no buildings, only paths and trees and snow._

_He began to panic, dropping to his knees on the wet snow that soaked through his jeans, chilling him even more. His fingers and toes were numb and didn't respond when he tried to bend or wiggle them._ _He was going to start crying any second._

_Just as he was giving up hope, about to surrender to the cold and let the snow bury him, he felt someone grab his hand. Warm fingers slipped between his frozen ones, melting them at their touch. His eyes followed those fingers up an arm to a shoulder and then a face, the face of Park Chanyeol._

_"Yoelie," he cried. "You're here." Chanyeol came behind Baekhyun and wrapped his arms around him, pulling Baekhyun's back flush against his own chest. "You're so warm. Can I just stay here in your arms?"_

_"Of course," Chanyeol answered._

_"Always?"_

_"Always."_


	11. 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just FYI, this chapter is rated M.

Chanyeol felt a little ashamed for lying to Baekhyun about his errands, but he really had to get home. The morning's events had inspired a song in his head, and he needed to get it on paper before he lost it. He ran up the four flights of stairs to his apartment, too impatient to wait for the elevator. Slamming the door behind him and kicking his shoes off hastily, he grabbed his guitar and settled onto the couch with a pencil and some staff paper.

Two hours later he had ten pages of notes and lyrics scrawled out and was mostly satisfied with his work despite the fact that he would probably never let anyone hear it. This piece was just for him. He was just about to play it all the way through for the first time when his phone buzzed with an incoming message from Kyungsoo.

**"Could you do me a favor tonight?"**

He typed his response as he wondered what Kyungsoo could possibly need from him.

**"Sure. What is it?"**

**"Get Baekhyun out of the apartment for the night. I need some space."**

Chanyeol was surprised and confused by the request. His first thought was that perhaps Kyungsoo had a date, but that didn't seem likely. Then he realized how much time he and Baekhyun had been spending there in the last week. Maybe he really did just need alone time. He wasn't used to having a roommate, much less two, and Kyungsoo seemed to have personal space issues.

**"Yeah, no problem. Just tell him he should stay with me tonight. It might be awkward if I ask him myself."**

Nevermind awkward. It would be making the first move, and he had promised himself he wouldn't do that.

**"Whatever."**

A few minutes later he got another message, this time from Baekhyun.

**"Soo is kicking me out for the night. Is it okay if I stay with you?"**

_You can stay with me forever!_  Chanyeol had to force himself not to type exactly what he was thinking.

**"Of course, but I work tonight. Wanna meet me at the club?"**

Chanyeol gave up on his run-through and put the guitar away while he waited for Baekhyun to reply.

**"Pick me up on your way into work?"**

**"Sure."**

 

Kyungsoo dialed the phone as soon as he heard back from Baekhyun that he would be gone for the night. His palms were starting to sweat as he listened to it ring. He was about to hang up after the fourth ring when he heard a shuffling noise and a loud clatter, followed by someone yelling at the phone from a distance.

" _Hold on a sec!"_ More shuffling, and then, " _Hello?"_

"Jongin?"

" _Hey, Soo. What's up?_ "

"W-would you like to, um... come over? Tonight?"

 

Baekhyun was already wrapped in practically every warm garment he owned when Chanyeol arrived to collect him. He carried a backpack containing a change of clothes and his toothbrush as they made their way to the club.

"I don't have to work long tonight," Chanyeol announced. "There's a band going on at 9:00 so I should be done before then. What are you going to do while I'm working?"

Baekhyun thought that was a silly question. "Watch you, of course."

Chanyeol blushed and glanced over at the smaller man, but stopped in his tracks when he got his first good look at Baekhyun's face. "Are you wearing makeup?"

Baekhyun turned around and laughed. "Just eyeliner. I usually wear it when I go out. Why? Don't you like it?"

"No... I mean yes! I-I like it... it's just..."

"Shut up, idiot," Baekhyun giggled. "It looks sexy on me and you know it."

"Uh-huh," Chanyeol choked out. He couldn't argue. The stark, black outline made Baekhyun's eyes look larger and more sparkly and contrasted beautifully against his pale skin. "Minseok is gonna lose it when he sees you."

"Jealous?" Beakhyun teased.

"Minseok doesn't really worry me. It's all the customers." Chanyeol confessed as they entered the club and un-bundled Baekhyun.

Once he was down to a single layer of clothing Baekhyun tugged Chanyeol's arm so he could whisper in his ear, "Just remember, I'm going home with you tonight." Then he pulled away, skipping to the bar where Minseok was listening to the sound check for the band.

Chanyeol hadn't been wrong to assume that Baekhyun would receive quite a lot of attention. First off, Minseok had squealed when he noticed the singer.

"Oh, I knew you would look fantastic like that! You have to wear it on stage!" Minseok gushed.

It wasn't just the eyeliner. Baekhyun had peeled off his over-sized sweater to reveal a button down in a deep plum color, the top few buttons undone to reveal prominent collar bones, along with the tightest skinny jeans Chanyeol had ever seen, accentuating thick thighs and a perky bottom that Chanyeol hadn't previously noticed.

Then there were the customers. It was still early, but Baekhyun seemed to be a magnet for every sleazy guy in the joint. As he sat at the bar, joined off and on by Minseok, it seemed like every five minutes one male or another would attempt to flirt with him. Chanyeol watched miserably from the stage as Baekhyun turned down drink offers and more. Chanyeol's only consolation was that occasionally Baekhyun would gesture to the stage, smile, and wave as he (Chanyeol assumed) used the giant as an excuse to reject them.

As the band began to set up their equipment on the stage Chanyeol was finally able to join Baekhyun at the bar. Immediately the petite man stood on his toes for a hug and breathed into Chanyeol's ear, "Are you allowed to leave now? I'm dying to get out of here."

"Just let me go put my guitar away and grab your backpack from my locker. Go put your blizzard gear back on." Pretty soon they were headed to Chanyeol's apartment.

 

Baekhyun began undressing in the elevator, removing his mittens and unwinding his scarf. "Help me out here," he whined and Chanyeol jumped.

"Wh-what?"

"Just," he gestured at his coat, "unzip me so I can get this stuff off faster."

Chanyeol obliged, unzipping the top three layers of coats and jackets and watching as Baekhyun shrugged out of the whole mess all at once. He shed the sweater as the giant unlocked the door and dropped everything a few feet inside as he turned back to Chanyeol with a hungry look.

"Fuck, you look so good on stage," he growled, pulling Chanyeol down by the back of his neck and guiding their lips together. Chanyeol groaned as he felt Baekhyun's hands fisting into his hair, tugging the taller's head back to gain access to his neck. He mouthed his way down Chanyeol's jaw and neck, kissing, licking, nipping gently.

Baekhyun paused when he reached Chanyeol's collar bones, pulling at the hem of his shirt. "Off," he commanded and Chanyeol complied, pulling the shirt over his head to reveal lean muscles and toned abs that made the singer's mouth water. "Fuck!" he cursed as he felt his cock twitch at the sight. He trailed his delicate fingers from Chanyeol's shoulders down his chest, tracing the lines between the muscles and following directly with his lips and tongue. Chanyeol hissed at his touch, eyes rolling back in his head as he relished the feel of Baekhyun exploring his body.

Baekhyun's hands made their way to the waistband of Chanyeol's jeans, slipping his fingers underneath briefly before moving to remove his belt. "Baek," Chanyeol warned, reluctantly grabbing at the slender wrists to stop Baekhyun. "Baek, wait a minute."

The singer looked up, confused. "What? Did I do something wrong?"

"No. No, it's just... Fuck! It feels so good, but I don't want you to do anything you'll regret."

_Cute,_  Baekhyun thought and attempted to reassure the other. "Chanyeol, I'm sober and in full control of myself. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't  _want_  to. I won't regret this. Now please just help me get your pants off so I can suck your cock!"

After staring blankly at Baekhyun for what seemed like forever, Chanyeol wordlessly walked over to the couch, pulling Baekhyun behind him. He released the man's wrist and swiftly removed his pants, kicking them out of the way as he settled into the couch. Baekhyun dropped to his knees in front of the giant and settled between his legs, kissing and caressing his thighs as he moved closer to nuzzle his face against Chanyeol's half-hard member through his boxers.

He dipped his fingers under the fabric, pulling the elastic away to expose more flesh. Chanyeol lifted his hips to help pull his boxers off, leaving him completely naked in front of the shorter man whose jaw dropped at the sight.

"Your cock is perfect," Baekhyun murmured, licking his lips as he leaned closer.

Chanyeol could feel Baekhyun's heated breath against the sensitive skin and moaned loudly when warm heat enveloped him. "O-oh, fuck!" Baekhyun's tongue swirled around the tip before he dipped to lick thick stripes up the shaft. Holding the base to angle the tip toward his mouth, he relaxed his jaw and slid down around Chanyeol's length until he felt the head bumping at the back of his throat. "Jesus, fuck Baek." Chanyeol let out a loud, broken moan. "Don't you have a gag reflex?" Baekhyun only hummed in response, sending delicious tingles throughout Chanyeol's body, making him squirm.

Baekhyun swallowed around Chanyeol, then hollowed his cheeks as he pulled back, pressing his tongue against the vein on the underside of Chanyeol's cock. He pulled off just long enough to wet his lips and then sheathed his teeth, taking him back in his mouth. He alternated between bobbing up and down and running his tongue around the head and over the slit, making pleased noises as drops of precum touched his tongue.

Chanyeol was biting his lip to hold back the embarrassing noises trying to fight their way out. It was taking all of his willpower not to thrust himself up into Baekhyun's sinful mouth. He reached a hand down to thread his fingers into Baekhyun's hair on a particularly deep drop and held his head down for a moment as he hit the back of his throat, growling in pleasure deep in his chest.

With tears stinging his eyes, Baekhyun hummed around him again, then sucked as hard as he could as he pulled back slowly. He dropped his hand to cup Chanyeol's balls causing Chanyeol's breath to hitch.

"Fuck, Baek. I'm so close," Chanyeol panted and Baekhyun returned to bobbing, faster now, allowing his teeth to graze the flesh gently every time he pulled up. In no time Chanyeol became an incoherant, moaning mess as Baekhyun felt hot liquid pumping into his throat and he hungrily swallowed around Chanyeol, drinking down everything the giant had to give.

Chanyeol's vision burst into white and then faded to black as he slumped against the couch unconscious.


	12. 12

"Chanyeol?" Baekhyun yelled as he shook Chanyeol's shoulders. He was straddling the motionless giant, nearly nose to nose with him. "Chanyeol! Jesus, Chanyeol, what the hell is wrong with you? Wake the fuck up! "

As he started to come to Chanyeol scrunched up his nose, his brows knitting together and eyelids fluttering in an attempt to open them. "Baek?" he asked and his speech sounded a little slurred.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Baekhyun sighed, leaning down to bury his face in Chanyeol's neck as he murmured, "You weren't responding and I was starting to panic. Don't scare me like that!" He pulled back to look at Chanyeol's face. "What happened to you anyway?"

Chanyeol seemed to have to think particularly hard to answer that question. "I... don't know," he answered slowly, "but it wasn't unpleasant. It was... nevermind. It'll just sound weird."

"Chanyeol, please," Baekhyun rolled his eyes. "I just sucked your cock until you passed the fuck out. I don't think your 'weird' will phase me."

He waited for a response but Chanyeol's mind seemed to have drifted away.

"Should I get you into bed or something?"

Baekhyun was really starting to worry. He felt like he'd somehow broken Chanyeol, but finally the taller man's eyes seemed to focus again. Baekhyun was startled when Chanyeol suddenly blurted out, "Hey! What about you?"

"What about me, Chanyeol? I'm not the one who fainted this time."

"No," Chanyeol attempted to shake his head but stopped when he started getting dizzy again. "I didn't get to, you know... take care of you."

A burst of laughter erupted from Baekhyun as he waved his hands and shook his head at Chanyeol. "No way!" he said when he finally calmed himself. "I don't need anything. Anyway, you need to rest. I'm not sure I didn't cause some permanent damage to your brain."

Chanyeol frowned. He had just enjoyed what was easily the best orgasm of his life, and he felt it was hardly fair not to at least attempt to reciprocate.

"I'm serious Baek. That... What you... It was..." 

"Spit it out," Baekhyun teased.

"Fuck! It was mind-blowing! You deserve something in return."

Baekhyun placed his hands on both of Chanyeol's cheeks. "Look at me Chanyeol," he said, and Chanyeol forced  his dark, chocolate brown orbs to focus. "It's okay for you to be selfish every now and then."

"No," Chanyeol protested. "No, no, no. I want to make you feel as good as you made me feel."

"Chanyeol, please don't arg-"

"Stop it Baek!" Chanyeol interrupted. "I let you make your own decision earlier; now it's my turn. I'm sober and in full control of myself," he parrotted Baekhyun's words back to him. He paused to see if Baekhyun would contradict him, but the singer was silent. "And right now all I want to do is find a way to make you come as hard as I did. Because as scary as it was for you, it felt fucking incredible from my end."

Baekhyun hesitated to answer. While part of him wanted to accept whatever Chanyeol was offering, another part wondered if it wouldn't be safer for Chanyeol to just rest for now. He was about to dismiss the suggestion and insist they both just go to bed when Chanyeol played possibly the dirtiest card in the whole deck: He pouted.

Eyebrows raised and drawn together, eyes as wide as saucers, and that cute bottom lip jutting out, Chanyeol looked like a kid begging for candy.  _How the hell am I supposed to say no to that face?_ Baekhyun thought, but just as he was about to voice his surrender Chanyeol attempted to stand and stumbled, just barely catching himself on the arm of the couch.

"That settles it!" Baekhyun declared, standing to wrap his arm around Chanyeol's waist to assist him into the bedroom. He completely ignored the giant's attempts to protest as the two slowly and carefully made their way to the bed.

Flopping down on his back, Chanyeol groaned, "I'm fine, Baek! Stop treating me like a drunk!"

"Well, you might as well be, the way you're staggering around." Chanyeol tried again to rise from the bed but Baekhyun placed a palm in the center of his chest and pushed him back down. "Stay down! I'll be right back with some water."

Baekhyun disappeared from the room and with nothing to concentrate on Chanyeol found his eyelids drooping. By the time Baekhyun returned he could hear slow, steady breathing. He sighed and set a glass of water on the nightstand. Somehow he managed to wrestle Chanyeol under the covers, sliding in to join him after a trip to the bathroom to change his clothes and brush his teeth.

"Aah, Channie," Baekhyun sighed as he cuddled up against Chanyeol, wrapping an arm around him and settling his head on Chanyeol's chest. "You really are beautiful." Within minutes Baekhyun had drifted off peacefully.

 

"Mmm..." Baekhyun hummed at the soft lips pressing gently against his forehead. The lips skimmed across his face to his cheek where they pressed again before moving to briefly meet his own. The bed shifted and a knee carefully parted his legs, nudging against his crotch and he couldn't prevent the small moan that escaped his throat.

Finally cracking his eyes open, Baekhyun found Chanyeol hovering over his face. Chanyeol had an intense look in his eyes, and he raised an eyebrow as he asked, "Is this okay?"

"Yes," Baekhyun breathed.

Chanyeol leaned closer and whispered, "Tell me if you want me to stop." He licked Baekhyun's ear, then nipped and kissed the exposed flesh of his neck all the way down to the hollow of his throat. Resting his weight on one hand, Chanyeol snaked the other down to the hem of Baekhyun's shirt, lifting it to trace his fingers along the soft skin of his stomach.

Baekhyun squirmed under Chanyeol's touch, raising his arms to wrap around Chanyeol's neck, whimpering and whining for more. "Nh, Yeol... Touch me."

"I am," Chanyeol teased. He lifted Baekhyun's shirt, the singer raising his shoulders from the bed to pull it over his head. Chanyeol growled, a low rumble in his chest, at the sight of Baekhyun's creamy skin and he reached out to run his finger in a line from Baekhyun's throat down and around his navel to the elastic waistband of his boxers. A deep blush formed on Baekhyun's face at the way Chanyeol was looking at him, as if he could spend hours devouring every inch of him. A sudden image flashed in his mind, of Chanyeol sucking marks into the sensitive skin along his ribs and at his hipbones, and he shivered at the thought.

When Chanyeol dropped his hand a bit lower to palm Baekhyun through his boxers he instinctively thrust up against it. "Fuck! Please, please Chanyeol," Baekhyun begged.

"Mm, so needy," Chanyeol chided but still slipped his fingers under Baekhyun's boxers to remove them and Baekhyun raised his hips to help, sliding them down and kicking them to the floor. Suddenly he noticed Chanyeol's warm breath against his legs as the giant gripped his knees to spread them apart. Baekhyun felt his body tense in anticipation when Chanyeol begin kissing and licking his way up his inner thigh to his hip and whimpered when he suddenly couldn't feel those lips on his skin anymore.

Looking down to see where Chanyeol had disappeared to, Baekhyun met his eyes as Chanyeol lingered over his cock, holding his breath and waiting for permission to continue. Baekhyun bucked his hips up.

"Please, please, please!" he whined. "Chanyeol-" Baekhyun's request died instantly, turning into a loud moan as Chanyeol dipped his head to lick around the tip of his cock before tentatively sucking it into his mouth. Baekhyun's back arched off the bed. "Oh! Fuck!" Chanyeol hummed and sucked a little harder before pulling off with a loud pop. He spit in his hand and looked up at Baekhyun, a wide grin creeping onto his face when the singer thrust himself into Chanyeol's hand as his fingers wrapped firmly around the shaft.

Leaving his hand in place, Chanyeol leaned back down to tongue the slit and embarrassingly Baekhyun nearly came undone under Chanyeol's touch. "Chanyeol... So close..." At Baekhyun's words Chanyeol removed his hand and slid his lips down around the entire length, hollowing his cheeks and moving his tongue expertly. That was all Baekhyun could handle and he tangled his fingers into Chanyeol's hair, tugging gently as warm, sticky liquid filled Chanyeol's mouth. The giant swallowed around him and continued to suck and lick softly until Baekhyun pulled him off by his hair, shuddering from overstimulation.

"Fuck, Chanyeol! Just... Fuck!" Baekhyun exclaimed breathlessly, his body buzzing with pleasure. Chanyeol crawled back up the bed, laying on his back beside Baekhyun and holding his arms out for the singer to snuggle into his side. Baekhyun's eyelids felt heavy. He rested his head on Chanyeol's chest and sighed as he melted into the warm body.

"Thank you," he yawned with his eyes closed. Baekhyun was already asleep before Chanyeol could respond.


	13. 13

Raindrops spattered against the window in Chanyeol's bedroom as he slowly allowed himself to adjust to being awake. It was only 9:15, still rather early, and Baekhyun continued to snooze beside him, an arm and leg thrown casually across Chanyeol's lanky body. He debated getting up, but decided against it as it might wake Baekhyun.

Tugging the blankets up around them, Chanyeol closed his eyes and adjusted himself to bury his face in Baekhyun's hair. He hoped Baekhyun would not regret what they had done when he woke up. In the short time since they had met Chanyeol had become quite attached to Baekhyun, and he was dreading the possibility of eventually having to let him go.

While still half asleep, Baekhyun felt movement in the bed as Chanyeol pulled the blankets up around his shoulders and soon after, Chanyeol's warm breath just behind his ear. He felt Chanyeol squeeze him tighter and Baekhyun sighed as warmth that had nothing to do with the temperature flooded his body. It was the warmth of sincere affection, comfort, and care, a feeling he just realized he'd never truly experienced before.

"Chanyeol?" Baekhyun whispered.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Chanyeol lifted a hand to brush Baekhyun's hair back from his forehead.

"N-no. Can I ask you something?"

Chanyeol pulled back a bit to see Baekhyun's face. "Of course. Anything."

"What we did last night, what does it mean?"

_It means I'm falling for you. It means I want you to spend every minute with me, every night in my bed. It means we're together; you're mine and I'm yours._ He took a deep breath before answering.

"I guess it means we enjoy each other's company."  _Yes, that sounds good. That doesn't sound crazy and lovesick at all._

_"_ Oh." Baekhyun couldn't prevent the trace of disappointment from creeping into his voice. He smiled to try to cover it up. "That's... I'd say that's definitely true."

They were both quiet for a few minutes before Baekhyun once again broke the silence.

"Chanyeol?"

"Yes?"

"We forgot to eat dinner last night."

Chanyeol chuckled and nuzzled into Baekhyun's neck, inhaling his scent once more before rolling off the bed and making his way to the closet for some clean clothes.

"Alright then, I'll go see what I have in the kitchen. Come join me whenever you're ready." He turned to leave the room, hesitated, and turned back to plant a quick kiss on Baekhyun's forehead, then headed for the kitchen, leaving Baekhyun speechless and blushing.

 

Baekhyun could hear banging from the kitchen when he stepped out of the shower. It sounded like Chanyeol was tearing the place apart and Baekhyun wondered if the giant even knew how to cook. Once he was dressed he made his way toward the noise to find Chanyeol with a pan of sausages and another heating on the stove for the eggs he was cracking into a bowl on the counter.

"Smells good," Baekhyun said, startling a yelp from Chanyeol.

"Shit, Baek! Don't sneak up on me!" He shouted, clutching his hand to his chest.

Baekhyun giggled as he apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you." More giggles. "I thought you would have heard me coming, but you must have been making too much racket in here."

"It's fine. I'm just not used to having anyone here I guess." Chanyeol then waved a spatula at Baekhyun as he shooed him away. "As much as I'd love for you to keep me company while I cook, I have to ask you to leave. Kyungie has told me what bad luck you are in the kitchen. Go hang out in the living room until breakfast is ready."

Pouting, Baekhyun retreated to the living room. He decided to look over some of the music Chanyeol seemed to hoard. He found pile after pile of sheet music. Some songs were printed while others were obviously handwritten original pieces. He sifted through the pages, barely able to read most of the lyrics due to Chanyeol's messy scrawl, but the notes were written more clearly. Baekhyun hummed a few lines from each page and quickly discovered that Chanyeol had a gift for composing.

He found a few pages with neater script. The lyrics were absolute poetry. Kyungsoo was right when he said Chanyeol felt the music in his heart, and it didn't just apply to performing. Baekhyun was in awe.

Suddenly he noticed a neat stack in the middle of the coffee table. He slid to the floor to take a look. Baekhyun hummed the melody and read through the lyrics carefully. It was the story of a man who grew fond of waking next to someone else. He didn't know if the other felt the same and it was slowly driving him mad. He constantly craved more time with the person. He hoped every day for another day together.  _A love song,_  Baekhyun thought.

He wondered if Chanyeol wrote it for someone specific and found himself growing jealous of this person, whoever it was. He was itching to hear the song fully. Committing the melody to memory, he moved to the piano and opened the cover to reveal the keys. Baekhyun took a moment to arrange the pages so that he could see everything and began to play.

As the harmonies unfolded Baekhyun added the melody along with the lyrics. It was truly stunning. _Chanyeol must be some kind of musical god._  Baekhyun was constantly left breathless with every new discovery about the man.

Chanyeol was just plating breakfast when he heard Baekhyun fiddling around on the piano. He grinned widely remembering how that piano had triggered their first kiss, not noticing the exact song he was hearing. As the realization dawned on him he dropped the pan onto the stove with a crash and rushed into the living room.

"Stop! Stop playing now!" Chanyeol demanded.

Baekhyun was shocked. His hands immediately fell into his lap as he looked up at Chanyeol wondering what he had done wrong.

"I'm sorry," Chanyeol started. "You just can't... you can't play that song. I'm sorry." _You were never meant to hear that song._ By the look on Baekhyun's face it was clear how confused he was. "It's not finished, not ready yet," Chanyeol lied.

"But," Baekhyun protested, "it's perfect. What more could you possibly do with it?"

"Look, I just don't want anyone to hear it, okay?"

Baekhyun couldn't help his curiosity as he asked, "Is it... did you write it for someone... special?" He felt a twinge in his heart when Chanyeol nodded. "Oh."

Even through his panic Chanyeol picked up on the tone of disappointment in Baekhyun's voice.

"Who?"  _Shut up Baekhyun! Shut your stupid mouth right now!_  Before Chanyeol could form a response Baekhyun tried to take his words back. "I'm sorry. That's probably personal. I shouldn't have asked. It's just,"  _STOP! Don't say it!_ He bit his tongue to keep himself from finishing the sentence.

"It's just what?"

Baekhyun huffed at himself in frustration but continued anyway. "Well, does the person know?"

"No."

"You should tell him."

At this point it was obvious to Chanyeol that he wasn't getting out of this conversation without revealing the truth so he steeled himself. He closed his eyes and muttered, "It's you. The song is about you."


	14. 14

Chanyeol stood there with his head down, eyes squeezed shut, afraid to breathe. He had ruined everything. Any minute Baekhyun was going to scream at him or worse, leave. He waited to hear the sound of the door slamming, but it never came. The silence felt suffocating, though now that he thought of it, perhaps that was the lack of air entering his lungs.

Chanyeol couldn't control his thoughts. _It's probably better this way. The sooner he knows, the sooner he leaves. The sooner he leaves, the less attached I will have become. The less attached, the less it will hurt._  That seemed rational enough. Unfortunately Chanyeol already knew that none of it was true. He was already attached and no matter when it happend, the leaving was going to hurt.

After several minutes of utter silence in the room, Chanyeol felt delicate fingers sliding lightly down his arm. He jumped and opened his eyes to find Baekhyun standing before him, looking up at his face.

"Did you mean that? Is it true?" Baekhyun asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," Chanyeol answered, looking at the floor.

Baekhyun waited until Chanyeol raised his eyes again before continuing. Grabbing the front of Chanyeol's shirt to pull him closer, Baekhyun whispered into his ear, "Good, then that means I don't have any competition."

Suddenly Baekhyun was throwing his arms around Chanyeol's neck and jumping into him. He crashed their lips together as he wrapped his legs around Chanyeol's waist. Chanyeol's reactions were delayed as he tried to process every sensation at once. He caught Baekhyun, gripping him by his thighs and balancing them so that they wouldn't topple over, all while urgently pressing his lips back against Baekhyun's.

When they pulled apart to breathe Baekhyun giggled. Chanyeol gave him a questioning look.

"It's just," Baekhyun paused to laugh a bit more, "we forgot about the food... again."

Chanyeol chuckled lightly as well, loving the sound of Baekhyun's tinkling laughter.

"It's probably all cold by now," Chanyeol said apologetically. "I'll go see if I can warm it up for us."

He made his way into the kitchen with slight difficulty as Baekhyun remained latched onto him and showed no signs of releasing him. When Chanyeol saw the mess of eggs all over the floor where they'd fallen as he dropped the pan and the sausages sitting in the congealed grease, he pried Baekhyun away from himself.

"Baekkie? Would you please go get dressed?" Chanyeol said sweetly.

"Uh... why?" Baekhyun asked cautiously.

"Because, I'm taking you out for brunch."

"No."

Chanyeol's good mood plummeted. "Why not?"

"Yeollie, I only have the clothes I wore to the club last night and this," Baekhyun reasoned, gesturing to his loose sweatpants and oversized t-shirt. "What exactly are you expecting me to wear?"

That perked Chanyeol up a bit. At least the answer made sense and didn't sound like an excuse that Baekhyun had made up. Chanyeol still wanted to pout because he wasn't getting his way, but decided to suck it up and go about it a different way.

"I'll make a deal with you," Chanyeol suggested. "I'll go pick up some take-out food for now, but you have to let me take you out tonight after work."

Baekhyun nodded furiously with a face splitting grin and watched as Chanyeol threw on his coat and left to go find them something to eat. When he was sure that Chanyeol had exited the building, Baekhyun returned to the piano and began to play the song again. This time was different. This time it wasn't just a beautiful love song written by a musical genius. This time it was  _his_ song, and Baekhyun thought he would never get sick of hearing it.

 

"Why would you turn off someone's alarm?!" Kyungsoo yelled at Jongin, smacking him in the head as he passed by the bed on the way to the bathroom.

"I didn't mean to, it's just habit!" Jongin heard the water turn on in the shower and cringed when he saw Kyungsoo coming back through the bedroom, thinking he would be smacked again, but he wasn't. Kyungsoo crawled up on the bed on his knees beside Jongin and carefully kissed the spot where he had smacked him, petting his hair back as an apology.

"I know," Kyungsoo stated as he calmed himself. "I shouldn't have yelled. Come join me?"  _Hey, if I'm going to be late for work I might as well be monumentally late._

Jongin could never resist Kyungsoo. He jumped out of bed and followed his boyfriend to the bathroom, climbing in the tub behind him. Sliding his arms around Kyungsoo's waist Jongin splayed his fingers across his chest and tummy and nuzzled his face into the crook of his neck.

"I missed you," Jongin whined. "When is the kid leaving?"

Kyungsoo chuckled. "He's not a kid, Nini. He's older than both of us, and I don't think he'll be here much longer. There's something going on between him and Chanyeol. I give it another week before he starts spending every night with Channie."

"And then we can have the place to ourselves again?" Jongin asked as he reached for the shampoo to wash Kyungsoo's hair. Kyungsoo hummed in pleasure and leaned into the fingers massaging his scalp.

"Yes, Nini, all to ourselves." He tilted his head to rinse his hair.

"And then we can do this?" Jongin grasped Kyungsoo's hips, grinding his cock into his boyfriend's plump ass.

"Ah! Yes, Nini!"

Kyungsoo melted against Jongin, his knees going weak. Jongin bent Kyungsoo forward and helped him balance himself against the wall. Quickly sucking his fingers to slick them, he slipped two inside Kyungsoo's pretty hole, still a little loose from last night's activities. Jongin swiftly worked Kyungsoo open enough to add a third finger and briefly brushed against his prostate, forcing Kyungsoo to muffle a moan against his arm.

"Fuck! Nini... just get in me!"

Jongin was quick to oblige, removing his fingers and positioning himself at Kyungsoo's entrance. In one abrupt motion Jongin pressed himself deep within Kyungsoo.

Jongin let out a low groan as he waited for Kyungsoo to adjust. "Damn, Soo... So fucking tight!"

After a few seconds Kyungsoo managed to relax and he began to rock his ass back against Jongin who took the hint and pulled back to ram back in. He set a punishing pace, thrusting deep and hard. Kyungsoo's hands slipped a few inches down the wall, changing the angle to allow Jongin in deeper, hitting the soft bundle of nerves every time he slammed into Kyungsoo.

It wasn't long before Kyungsoo was a trembling, moaning mess, so close to climax but yet unable to tip over the edge. Jongin seemed to notice and reached around to wrap his fingers around Kyungsoo's cock. Just a few short strokes and Kyungsoo was coming, painting the tiles with the sticky, white substance, moaning Jongin's name repeatedly.

Kyungsoo's muscles spasmed and tightened around Jongin and after few more erratic thrusts he buried himself in Kyungsoo, spilling inside him with a loud, "Fuck!"

Once they had both regained their breath Jongin cleaned them both off, soaping Kyungsoo's body and allowing the warm water to wash away all evidence of the encounter. Kyungsoo never made it into work. He called in sick and spent the day tangled in bed with Jongin.


	15. 15

Baekhyun felt terrific. After they had eaten lunch, Chanyeol had turned on a relaxing playlist of some of his favorite songs, and the two had curled up together on the couch, chatting and sharing soft kisses and gentle touches all afternoon. At some point early on Baekhyun had laced his fingers into Chanyeol's, and they had remained that way ever since.

Chanyeol sighed heavily when it was time to leave for work. He had to pry himself away from Baekhyun to take a shower. He didn't want to leave at all, but knowing that Baekhyun would be there when he returned made it a little easier to bear.

"I'll be back before 10:00," he reminded Baekhyun as he slid his feet into his shoes.

"I know. I'll be waiting." Baekhyun smiled, crinkling the corners of his eyes.

"The key is on the counter so you can get back in after you go change."

"You're procrastinating," Baekhyun teased him. "Get going, or you'll be late."

Chanyeol leaned down for one more kiss. "You promise you'll be here when I get home?" In his mind there was still a possibility that the whole day had been a dream.

"I promise. Now go to work!" Baekhyun giggled and nudged Chanyeol gently into the hallway, closing the door behind him.

Baekhyun returned to Chanyeol's bedroom and rolled himself into the duvet like a burrito. The entire room smelled of Chanyeol, and Baekhyun relaxed into the mattress as he drowned in the intoxicating scent. The bed was warm and comfortable, and Baekhyun couldn't help but drift off for a quick nap.

Several hours later he woke to complete darkness. Baekhyun wasn't sure what time it was as he stumbled to the doorway to flip the light switch. He hoped it wasn't too late. He still had to run back to Kyungsoo's apartment to change clothes before Chanyeol came home.

_Woah!_ Baekhyun thought as he caught sight of himself in the hall mirror. His hair was pushed straight up and flat on one side, there were red lines on his cheek from the pillow, and even his eyes were puffy from sleep. He made his way into the bathroom to attempt to tame his hair and found his phone there on the counter. Unlocking it with one hand as he combed damp fingers through his hair with the other, he was startled when he saw the time. It was already past 8:30.

Chanyeol should be back in the next hour or so. Baekhyun would have to hurry to beat him home. He slipped into his shoes and coat and pocketed Chanyeol's key as he rushed out the door.

 

Minseok glanced up from his paperwork when he heard Chanyeol's deep voice as he entered the office.

"Hello Chanyeol," he chirped. "Something happen today? You've been in a good mood all night."

"Ah," Chanyeol blushed, "I have a date tonight. Actually, I'm about to go pick him up now." He packed his guitar away carefully and reached in his locker for his phone and keys.

"Oh? Who is the lucky guy?" Minseok smirked.

Chanyeol rolled his eyes. "As if you don't know. I'm about as subtle as a bulldozer."

Minseok chuckled and nodded. "Tell Baekhyun I said hello."

"Sure thing hyung," Chanyeol called over his shoulder as he bounced out the door.

He felt like the walk home had never been longer. As he passed Kyungsoo's building, Chanyeol found himself wishing he'd told Baekhyun to wait there, but he couldn't pass up the opportunity to come home to someone for the first time in ages. His life had been so empty for so long.

When he reached the apartment he jogged up the stairs and opened the door, panting. "Baek!" he called, but was met with silence. He moved quickly through the apartment, checking every room, but there was no sign of Baekhyun. His chest ached and his mind raced as he dropped onto the couch with his head in his hands.

_Didn't Baekhyun say he would be here when I got home? He promised, didn't he? Did something happen to him? Did he lie to me? Was he just waiting for me to leave so he could run? God, I was so stupid to believe he actually wanted to be with me!_

Tears welled up in his eyes as he lost himself in his despairing thoughts. He was so preoccupied that he didn't even hear the key in the lock and the door slamming shut. He only finally noticed Baekhyun when he started talking.

"Shit, you're already back. I was hoping to get back before you but I took a rather long nap, and then it was so late so I ran all the way, but it still took longer than I..." Baekhyun stopped his rambling when he got a good look at Chanyeol's face. "Chanyeol, what's wrong?" He dropped to his knees in front of the couch and cupped his hands around Chanyeol's face.

Chanyeol shook his head. He felt like an idiot for crying. He should have more sense than to think Baekhyun would just leave him like that when everything he knew about Baekhyun suggested that he was honest and kind.

"I'm sorry. I don't know, I just came home and you weren't here. I panicked. I thought maybe you changed your mind."

"No. No, no Yeollie. Don't ever think that. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I made you worry, but I'm not going anywhere."

Chanyeol nodded but continued to cry. He felt stupid for thinking Baekhyun had left him but also relieved that he hadn't. Baekhyun, not knowing any other way to comfort Chanyeol, pushed him back against the couch and climbed into his lap, straddling his thighs. He wrapped his arms securely around Chanyeol's chest and rested his head on his shoulder. He remembered Chanyeol saying how he liked hugs when he was upset, so his big plan was to just hug him until he calmed down.

After awhile Chanyeol seemed to relax. The tears stopped and he returned Baekhyun's hug, nearly squeezing the life out of him.

"Thank you," he whispered in Baekhyun's ear.

Baekhyun pulled back just enough to see Chanyeol's face. "Are you okay now?"

"I think so. I'm sorry."

"No," Baekhyun sighed. "I'm sorry. I thought I could get back before you. I didn't realize it would upset you so much or I would have waited."

Chanyeol frowned. "I'm afraid we may have missed dinner again. Want to order pizza?"

Baekhyun smiled and laid his head back on Chanyeol's shoulder. "Mhmm," he hummed. "Just as long as I can stay right here until the food gets here." He snuggled in closer and Chanyeol thought he wouldn't mind skipping dinner altogether if it meant Baekhyun wouldn't move from his lap.


	16. 16

Chanyeol was completely exhausted by the time he and Baekhyun crawled into bed sometime after midnight. He laid on his side and pulled Baekhyun into his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around him and tangling their legs together. Chanyeol kissed Baekhyun's shoulder and nosed at his neck like an overgrown puppy.

"Sweet dreams, Baek," he mumbled, the words muffled by Baekhyun's bare skin against his lips.

"Mmmm," Baekhyun sighed happily. "You too, Yeollie." He laced their fingers together, rubbing small circles on the back of his hand as he snuggled deeper into Chanyeol's embrace.

After a few minutes Baekhyun could feel that Chanyeol had fallen asleep. His breathing was deep and steady on Baekhyun's neck and his heart thumped rhythmically against his back. Normally these sensations would have lulled Baekyun to sleep, especially the warmth of their bodies pressed together, but tonight he wasn't sleepy. He blamed his long nap.

Almost an hour later Baekhyun still couldn't sleep. He had just moved to get up for a glass of water when he felt Chanyeol tense behind him. He was suddenly being pulled closer, hugged desperately tight by Chanyeol's muscular arms.

"Please... don't...," Chanyeol whimpered as Baekhyun struggled to free himself. He wasn't exactly trying to get away. He just needed Chanyeol to relax his hold so he could breathe.

"Yeollie... please... let go!" Baekhyun croaked out. He had just managed to pry Chanyeol's arm far enough away from his chest to get some air into his lungs when he felt the giant go slack again.  _What the hell?_  Baekhyun wondered as he gasped and panted, and there was a stab of pain in his chest when he noticed that Chanyeol was quietly sobbing into the pillow.

Rolling over onto his knees, Baekhyun crawled to Chanyeol and gently touched his shoulders. "Yeollie?" he said quietly. "Yeollie, are you okay?" The sobbing continued with no response from Chanyeol. Baekhyun settled down beside him and soothingly ran his fingers through his hair until he was asleep again. The stress of nearly being squeezed to death had drained all of Baekhyun's remaining energy. With his hand still resting on Chanyeol's head he finally drifted off as well.

 

By morning Chanyeol seemed like a new person. Baekhyun marveled at how happy and confident his... _Boyfriend?_  was. There was no sign of insecurity or tears. They teased each other playfully over breakfast at a cafe and spent the afternoon shopping, trying to find something suitable for Baekhyun to wear for his first night of work. Altogether it was another lovely day for them.

It was only after Chanyeol left for work that his mood changed. He glared at the ground as he walked toward the club, reliving his nightmare in his head the whole way there.

_It started with a memory, though it was slightly distorted in the dream. One day four years ago Chanyeol entered his apartment, completely worn out after spending the whole day teaching guitar lessons to a bunch of spoiled brats who never even practiced between lessons. He was fed up with his job. He couldn't even enjoy music anymore. The only good thing in his life was being able to come home to his boyfriend._

_He dropped his keys in the bowl by the door as he shrugged out of his jacket and slipped off his shoes. The apartment was quiet, but that was normal as his boyfriend was usually napping when Chanyeol arrived home from work. It was only in the dream that the silence registered immediately, sending Chanyeol into a panic. The apartment was empty and as he looked around he noticed the slight differences that would have tipped him off had he been more observant when it actually happened._

_There was the single key to the apartment left in place of the ring of keys his boyfriend usually carried, the absence of half of the picture frames that decorated the walls, and the missing instruments in the living room. It wouldn't have been until Chanyeol made his way to the bedroom and noticed that only his own clothes remained in the closet that he would finally come to the conclusion that he had been dumped._

_He checked his phone for missed calls or messages and searched the apartment for some kind of note, something that would indicate where the other had gone. There was nothing, no clue, only emptiness, both in the apartment and in Chanyeol's heart._

_Suddenly he found himself in the club. He was on stage, playing one of his favorite songs and watching the crowd move to the music. He caught Minseok's eye at the bar and Minseok sent him a cute little wink along with an eyebrow wiggle, noticing the way Chanyeol could hardly take his eyes off of a tall, slender blonde who was dancing like the beat came from within him. The way he moved was sinful and Chanyeol was completely entranced._

_His name was Sehun. He was friends with the new bartender, Jongin. He had been coming in every night for the past few weeks and Chanyeol had finally worked up the courage to speak to him. As soon as his set ended he hopped down the steps and made his way to the bar where Sehun was knocking back shots while having a very serious conversation with Minseok about adding a small stage to the club for some dancers._

_"I would definitely come to watch you dance," Chanyeol announced._

_"See, Minseok!" Sehun slurred loudly. "I told you people wanna see me dance!"_

_Minseok rolled his eyes and gave Chanyeol a look that said 'Good luck!' as he walked away._

_Chanyeol's dream had allowed him a brief overview of his fling with Sehun before he had abruptly come to the end._

_"Look, Chanyeol, it's not that I don't like you," Sehun had said, just before a man walked up behind him and leaned down to whisper something in his ear. Sehun seemed to melt at the words, whatever they were, and he quickly waved goodbye to Chanyeol as he turned to follow the mystery man out of the club._

_The dream had shifted again and Chanyeol had been forced to relive his moment of panic from the night before, when he had again arrived home to an empty apartment._

It had been at just that moment in his slumber when he had felt the bed move. His half-conscious mind had supplied him with images of Baekhyun sneaking away in the middle of the night and he just couldn't take it. He had wrapped his arms around Baekhyun as tightly as he could, refusing to let the other leave. He was not going to be abandoned again.

When he had finally realized how he had overreacted again he was so ashamed that he couldn't stop the flow of tears escaping his eyes. He hid his face in embarrassment only to feel Baekhyun's comforting touch. It was overwhelming and brought on a fresh wave of tears. He assumed he must have finally cried himself to sleep because the next thing he knew there was sunlight streaming through the window.

Baekhyun didn't call attention to his episode so Chanyeol chose not to bring it up either. He put on a happy face, making every effort to enjoy his time with Baekhyun, and it worked for him... until they had to part. He knew it was only for a few hours, but for Chanyeol those few hours were going to be torture.


	17. 17

"Oh, Chanyeol..." Minseok said when he saw the miserable look on Chanyeol's face. "What happened? Didn't your date go well?"

"No, hyung. It's not what you think." Chanyeol shook his head as he slumped down on one of the barstools. "It's really more to do with me than Baek."

Minseok had known Chanyeol long enough to see exactly what the problem was. Despite his original intention to stay out of his employees' personal lives, he felt Chanyeol needed a bit of reassurance.

"Sweetie, you know that Baekhyun is over the moon for you, right? I mean, he may not know it yet, but I can tell."

Chanyeol looked up at Minseok. "How do you know?" he asked.

"Aish!" Minseok rolled his eyes at his poor, oblivious friend. "Haven't you noticed the way he looks at you?"

"Huh?"

"Come _on,_ Chanyeol. He's nearly as transparent as you are. He stares at you all the time, and whenever you play or especially when you sing he gets all starry-eyed. How do you not see it? Don't you notice how he likes to touch you? Doesn't he like to cuddle and hug you or even just hold your hand?

Chanyeol had certainly caught Baekhyun staring at him a few times, but he'd thought it was mostly because of his new hair. Now that Minseok had brought it up he realized that Baekhyun was constantly touching him when they were alone together. He liked to lace their fingers together when they were relaxing on the couch or run them through Chanyeol's hair in bed. Chanyeol may have unintentionally confessed his feelings for Baekhyun, but Baekhyun seemed to be trying to confess in a different way, by showing him rather than telling him.

A large grin began to spread on Chanyeol's face, and Minseok just sighed and rolled his eyes again. "Feel better now?"

"Yeah, I... Yeah. Thanks hyung."

"Good! Now can I ask you for a little help? Jongin called in tonight so I'm short a bartender. I need you on stage for Yixing's set so I can put him behind the bar."

"Mhmm, be right back." Chanyeol agreed and hopped up to get to work.

 

It was a long night at work. When Chanyeol finally stepped out of the elevator in his building his anxiety was high. He kept telling himself that even if Baekhyun wasn't here waiting for him that he was probably just at Kyungsoo's picking up some clothes or out grabbing some take-out. He took a deep breath and opened the door.

Chanyeol didn't even have time to close the door behind him before he was falling back against the wall, scrambling to catch the rather enthusiastic little singer who had launched himself at Chanyeol at full speed. Baekhyun sprinkled kisses over every inch of exposed skin from Chanyeol's forehead to his collar bones, mumbling between kisses, "I missed you. So. Much."

A low chuckle rumbled from Chanyeol's chest as he enjoyed the attention. "I missed you too, babe," he said without thinking.

Baekhyun pulled back with a dazed look. "Say that again," he demanded.

"I missed you too?"

"No. The other part."

Chanyeol hesitated for a split second, but when he noticed the hopeful expression on Baekhyun's face he immediately repeated himself. "I missed you too,  _babe._ "

As soon as the word left his mouth, Baekhyun threw himself at Chanyeol once again, attacking those beautiful, pouty lips. Chanyeol returned the kiss, tilting his head and nipping playfully at Baekhyun's lower lip as he brought a hand to the back of Baekhyun's neck, his other arm remaining around his waist, holding him up.

"Nnh..." Baekhyun moaned softly and Chanyeol took the opportunity to slip his tongue into Baekhyun's mouth.

After several minutes of exploring, licking, sucking, and nibbling, the two separated for air. Baekhyun couldn't help but let out a little giggle as he pulled away.

"Why do you always do that?" Chanyeol asked with a shy grin.

"What? What do I always do?"

"You always laugh after we kiss. Is it really so funny? Am I doing it wrong or something?"

Baekhyun laughed a little harder before answering.

"No, you're not doing anything wrong. It's just... It makes me so happy that I can't help it. I like the way you make me feel when you touch me."

Chanyeol's smile widened. "And how do I make you feel?"

"My skin tingles and my head spins and everything feels warm," Baekhyun explained as his face flushed. "It's like the buzz you get after a couple of drinks but amplified like a thousand times. And your lips are even more intense than your fingers. Instead of warm and tingly it feels like fire and sparks. It makes me happy and when I'm happy... I giggle."

It was Chanyeol's turn to blush, but he had one more question to ask.

"Mmm... And how does it feel when I call you 'babe'?"

Baekhyun shivered. "My heart flutters and I get goosebumps even though I'm not cold. I like it... very much." He leaned in for another kiss. "Mmm... fire and sparks," he giggled some more.

Chanyeol closed his eyes and sighed as he listened. "Did you know even your laughter sounds like music?" Baekhyun gave him a confused look. "I just really love your voice. When you sing something soft like a ballad it's like soothing waves lapping at the shore and when you switch to something louder and put more power behind it, it's more like the sulfur in a match bursting into flame."

Scrunching his nose cutely Baekhyun asked, "What does my laughter sound like?"

"Chimes," Chanyeol answered with a dreamy look. "I'm sorry, am I being too cheesy?"

Baekhyun shook his head. "No, I like cheesy. Plus, cheesy suits us, don't you think?"

"Mhmm," Chanyeol nodded in agreement. "Wanna go cuddle in bed?"

"Can it wait? I'm starving!"

Chanyeol laughed and lowered Baekhyun to the floor before making his way to the kitchen to throw something together for dinner.

 

Later on as they climbed into bed Minseok's words were running through Chanyeol's mind. He now took notice every time Baekhyun's fingers brushed against his skin, every time he nuzzled his cheek against him.

He laid on his back and opened his arms for Baekhyun to come snuggle up to him. Baekhyun wiggled his way closer and rested his head on Chanyeol's chest. He threw his arm across Chanyeol's stomach as Chanyeol wrapped his arms around Baekhyun's shoulders.

Baekhyun sighed and snaked his hand up Chanyeol's shirt to trace small circles in the dip at the bottom of his sternum. His fingertip fit perfectly in the little hollow spot while the heel of his hand rested just below his ribcage, allowing his hand to curve comfortably.

"This spot is mine," Baekhyun said quietly.

"Hmm?" Chanyeol hummed in his sleepy state.

"This spot. It's mine, only mine. No one else can touch it, ever. It's the perfect spot to rest my hand when we cuddle."

"So possessive."

Baekhyun lifted his head and looked at Chanyeol.

"A bit. Is that okay?"

"Mmm... It's nice. Just don't go overboard," he chuckled lightly. "A little possessiveness makes me feel... wanted."

Baekhyun sat up, leaving his hand on Chanyeol's chest, in  _his_  spot.

"Yeollie, can I ask you something?"

Chanyeol had to fight the urge to roll his eyes. "Didn't you just ask something?" He felt a light smack on his shoulder and opened his eyes. "Yes, babe. You can ask me anything."

"Will you... I mean, are we..." As hard as he tried Baekhyun couldn't seem to complete the sentence.

"Spit it out Baek," Chanyeol teased.

Taking a deep breath and looking away Baekhyun mumbled, "Will you be my boyfriend?"

Chanyeol sat up, nearly knocking Baekhyun over in the process. Baekhyun was about to panic as his first thought was that Chanyeol was about to kick him out. He was relieved when he felt Chanyeol's arms wrap tightly around his tiny body, lips pressed against his neck. Baekhyun laughed and hugged him back.

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes!" Chanyeol's voice was slightly muffled against Baekhyun's skin as he continued to shower him with soft, sweet kisses over his neck and face. Baekhyun got tickled and tried to pull away, but Chanyeol held him firmly against his body until he finally reached Baekhyun's lips for one final, gentle peck. "Yes, Baekhyun."

He laid back against the pillow, pulling Baekhyun with him. They resumed their cuddling position, both with broad smiles on their faces, and drifted happily into dreamland.


	18. 18

Baekhyun shivered a bit under the sheets, rolling over in search of Chanyeol's warmth only to find the bed empty. He sat up quickly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he wondered where his boyfriend had disappeared to.  _Boyfriend! Chanyeol is my boyfriend_ _!_ He forced himself not to squeal like a teenage girl at the thought.

Just as Baekhyun was finally forcing himself to his feet Chanyeol appeared in the doorway. He was already showered and dressed in jeans and a sweater.

"Going somewhere?" Baekhyun asked. He had thought they would lounge around in pajamas all day since Chanyeol finally had a day off.

"Yes. We have plans," Chanyeol answered as he moved closer to steal a good morning kiss. "Get dressed. Something warm and casual. I'll be in the kitchen when you're ready." Before Baekhyun could question what he meant by 'plans' Chanyeol had turned and left the room.

"You know, I still don't have a lot of clothes here," Baekhyun called in the direction of the kitchen. "Maybe we should just stop by Kyungsoo's on the way to... wherever so I can get dressed there." He rummaged through his backpack to find something clean to wear and settled on a pair of skinny jeans but couldn't find a clean shirt or boxers.

"You can borrow anything from my closet that fits," Chanyeol yelled back.

That sounded like a better plan. Baekhyun quickly chose a plain white t-shirt and an oversized sweater, but he knew there was no way Chanyeol's boxers would fit him so he decided to just go without for the day. Surely they could go to Kyungsoo's and get his clothes on the way back afterwards.

He brushed his teeth and attempted to tame his hair, combing it down with damp fingers as best he could, and entered the kitchen to find Chanyeol packing a bag with food.

"Um... am I missing something?" Baekhyun wondered aloud.

"Uh... yes, well... since all of our planned dates seem to go to shit for one reason or another I thought I'd keep this one a surprise. I thought we could go have lunch at the park today... if that's okay with you."

Baekhyun smiled, one of those smiles that crinkled the corners of his eyes and made Chanyeol wonder if he could even see. "That sounds amazing!" He even jumped up and down a bit, like an excited puppy.

Chanyeol inwardly sighed in relief. He had worried that a picnic would be too cheesy, but it seemed Baekhyun really wasn't kidding when he said he liked cheesy. He told Baekhyun to layer up as he quickly packed another bag with a few blankets and soon they were ready to go.

 

The park was relatively empty, it being October and all, but the day was absolutely perfect. The sun was shining brightly and the temperature was mild for fall. Baekhyun even felt comfortable without his coat, and if he got too cold Chanyeol was close enough to snuggle into for warmth.

Chanyeol laid out one of the blankets and began unpacking the food. He noticed Baekhyun making a face when he pulled out a box full of gimbap.

"Don't worry, I made everything myself. I promise there aren't any cucumbers in it," he assured him.

"You didn't have to do that for me," Baekhyun said, though truthfully he was surprised that Chanyeol even remembered his feelings toward cucumbers. It had only been mentioned once in the week since they had met, when Kyungsoo had warned him to stay away from the salad the first night they had all eaten together.

"It's funny," Chanyeol started, "how almost everyone has some food they can't stand. Like, some people detest peas or peppers. I mean, I mostly eat everything, but I know people who won't touch anything containing raw onions or tomatoes or _something_. You just happen to dislike cucumbers, and there's no reason you should have to eat them, or avoid gimbap, just because they're a 'traditional' ingredient."

Baekhyun crawled closer to Chanyeol on the blanket as he continued to open containers. "Chanyeol," he whispered, causing Chanyeol to look up. Their faces were only inches apart and Baekhyun quickly closed the gap, lips meeting for a few seconds before Baekhyun broke the kiss to nose at Chanyeol's neck. "Thank you."

"Nnhnn," Chanyeol replied as he tried to get his mind working properly again. "Yeah, uh, no problem." He reached for a piece of the gimbap and offered it to Baekhyun who leaned forward to eat it right out of Chanyeol's fingers with a wicked grin. Chanyeol had to close his eyes for a moment to calm himself, but it didn't help when all he could hear was the sound of Baekhyun moaning as he  _thoroughly_  enjoyed the food, resulting in a rather embarrassing noise spilling from his own lips before he could stop it.

"Okay, I'll stop teasing you," Baekhyun giggled. "This place is a little public, even for me." Chanyeol sighed but had to adjust his position a bit to relieve some of the pressure in his jeans. "The food is really good though."

"Well, I do like to cook and I'm not really bad at it. I'm not as good as Kyungsoo, but it's mostly edible most of the time."

"Mhmm. So what are you  _not_  good at?" Baekhyun was determined to use their time together to get to know Chanyeol better.

"What do you mean?"

"First you tell me you play all these instruments and I'm expecting you can maybe strum a few chords on the guitar, but it turns out you're like amazing. Then you tell me you'll sing with me and I think you'll probably be just okay. Instead you have this incredible voice that makes my knees weak. And now I find out that you can cook, and not just 'mostly edible' as you claim. This stuff is great! So I'll ask you again, what are you not good at?"

"Did you ever think that maybe it's your fault for underestimating me?" Chanyeol teased.

"Probably, but still... Are you really perfect?"

Chanyeol could feel the heat of his cheeks as the blood crept up his neck to his face. "I'm not perfect." He thought for a few moments on how to respond. "Everything you mentioned... they're the things I know I do well, things that would impress someone. I earn a living playing instruments and singing, and I learned to cook because I enjoy food. Because I enjoy food I also know I do it reasonably well. I guess if you really want to know what I  _can't_  do... I don't read people well. I'm super clumsy, like trip over nothing and drop things everywhere and make huge messes clumsy. It's probably not a good idea for me to cook actually with how uncoordinated I can be. Oh, and please don't ever ask me to dance. Really, you don't want to see that."

Baekhyun listened, nodding where appropriate before commenting, "So you  _are_  human?"

Chanyeol let out a loud, burst of low laughter, clapping his hands in amusement. "Yes, I'm human. I really don't know why you think I'm so great. I'm just a tall, awkward dork."

"Mmm... but now you're _my_  tall and adorably awkward dork, and don't worry... we can be awkward dorks together."

They continued eating until they were both so full that neither wanted to move. Chanyeol sprawled out on his back in the center of the blanket and Baekhyun snuggled next to him, resting his head on the giant's outstretched arm to watch the clouds move across the sky.

"This is the best date I've ever been on," Baekhyun whispered as his eyelids began to feel heavy.

"Mm... It's not over so no napping."

"Mmkay..." he said, but Baekhyun was already starting to drift. Chanyeol allowed him to rest and rolled over on his side to place his hand on Baekhyun's chest.

For about an hour Chanyeol just laid there watching Baekhyun's fair skin and pink cheeks, his long, dark lashes, and the way his nose would twitch and scrunch as he slept. He could feel the steady beating of Baekhyun's heart beneath his palm. When his other arm began to feel numb Chanyeol gently worked it out from under Baekhyun's head and covered him with one of the extra blankets while he quietly cleaned up the food containers and packed them away.

"Baekhyun," Chanyeol whispered, his warm breath fanning against Baekhyun's neck. "Baekhyun, it's time to wake up. It'll be too cold for you here pretty soon. Let's go find somewhere warm to spend the rest of the day."

Baekhyun stretched his arms over his head and arched his back before sitting up.

"You said the date's not over yet. Where are we going?"

"You'll see..." Chanyeol said with a soft smile and unlike his normal wide grin this smile was filled with warmth and fondness. Baekhyun had never seen this smile before, but he immediately decided he liked it even better than the usual goofy grin.

Baekhyun stood up to help Chanyeol pack up the blankets. "Let's go!"


	19. 19

Baekhyun walked alongside Chanyeol out of the park and down the street to...

"Chanyeol, where are we going?"

Chanyeol looked down at Baekhyun with a mischievous grin. "I told you, you'll see, but right now we need to go grab you some clothes and then we'll go back to my apartment to change."

"What kind of clothes?" Baekhyun asked as he sorted through his tiny wardrobe in his mind. He didn't have much.

"Well, um... you could just bring everything with you if you want." Chanyeol regretted the words even as they spilled from his mouth. _Why am I constantly saying things like that?_  He wasn't asking him to move in, but it seemed silly to keep his things at Kyungsoo's when Baekhyun clearly preferred spending his nights with Chanyeol. "At least for now," he backtracked. "I mean, it's just one bag, right? It's not like you can't just carry it back to Kyungsoo's when you go back."

"Why would I go back?"

_Oh. That was unexpected._

"Uh... okay. Yeah. Just bring everything then."  _And we'll sort out what that means later._

Baekhyun smiled. He liked the idea of staying with Chanyeol. Sure, most people would say it was too soon to move in together, and they would be right, but Chanyeol's apartment felt more like home than Kyungsoo's. It was warmer, more comfortable, and he didn't feel like he was in the way, and best of all Chanyeol was there. Plus, since he was basically homeless at the moment it made sense to him.

They arrived at Kyungsoo's apartment minutes behind Kyungsoo who had just returned home from work.

"Hey," he greeted them, his gaze settling on their hands that were linked together. "Mm, I figured," he mumbled low enough that Baekhyun and Chanyeol didn't quite catch it.

"Hi, Soo!" Baekhyun chirped. "Just came to get some stuff." He released Chanyeol's hand and made his way to the guest room to pack his things.

As soon as Baekhyun was out of earshot Kyungsoo turned to Chanyeol.

"So you guys are... what? Dating?" Kyungsoo tried to keep his tone level. He didn't want Chanyeol to think he didn't approve of their relationship, but he worried about them, knowing how emotionally fragile they both were.

"Ah, yeah. We are. Are you mad?"

Kyungsoo laughed a little, lightening the mood. "No, Channie. I'm not mad. How could I be mad when you both seem so happy? Look at you. Even _your_ goofy grin hasn't been this big in a long time."

Chanyeol hunched his shoulders and stared at his feet as the tips of his ears turned bright red. "I am, Kyungie. I'm really happy, and I hope Baek is too."

"He is. I can tell. I've known Baekhyun for years and I never saw him this happy with his ex... even in the beginning."

"Really?" Chanyeol looked up, trying to read his face.

"Mhmm." Kyungsoo nodded and smiled sincerely. He could hear Baekhyun attempting to zip his bag in the other room, cursing when he realized he had crammed everything in without folding and now it didn't quite fit. Kyungsoo knew there wasn't enough time for him to say what he wanted to say, so he dropped his voice to a whisper. "I'll tell you all about it later. Call me sometime."

Chanyeol grunted, his way of telling Kyungsoo he understood, as Baekhyun dragged his heavy bag into the entryway. He turned to Kyungsoo, suddenly feeling like he was abandoning his friend.

"Soo, thanks for letting me stay here. I'll... uh... I'll probably be at Yeollie's for awhile, but we should all have dinner together some night."

Kyungsoo was totally confused by Baekhyun's choice of words. "Wait, are you moving in with Chanyeol?"

Chanyeol took one look at his boyfriend's flustered face and stepped in to answer for him.

"Just think of it as a roommate situation. We're not _technically_  moving in together. We'll both have our own space in my apartment, but the truth is we'll probably spend most of our time together anyway." The explanation seemed to satisfy everyone as both Kyungsoo and Baekhyun nodded.

"I hate to just run off on you," Baekhyun said apologetically, "but I'm kind of in the middle of a surprise date right now and I'm dying to know what the second half is. I'll see you tomorrow night at the club though, right?"

"Of course," Kyungsoo said with a teasing grin. "I wouldn't miss Baekhyunnie's very first day of work ever!" Baekhyun swatted at Kyungsoo's shoulder and immediately hid behind his boyfriend as Kyungsoo reached out to smack him back. "Alright, alright. Get back to your date!"

 

After a quick stop at Chanyeol's apartment to drop off Baekhyun's belongings and for both of them to change, Chanyeol was guiding Baekhyun down the sidewalk again. A few blocks later they came to a halt in front of a small bar.

"Oh! Are we here?" Baekhyun asked excitedly.

"Um... Tada?" Chanyeol seemed nervous, but Baekhyun was practically bouncing up and down.

"So, what is it?"

"Actually, we're here to hear my friend's band." Chanyeol explained as he led Baekhyun to an empty table near the back. "They'll be on in a few minutes. Would you like a drink?"

"Sure."

"Wait here." Chanyeol leaned in and pecked Baekhyun's cheek. "I'll be right back."

A fond smile spread across Baekhyun's face as he watched Chanyeol saunter to the bar. He had a short conversation with the bartender who seemed to be a friend, and couple of minutes later he was headed back toward the table carrying two glasses of beer.

Chanyeol was still a few feet from the table when Baekhyun's view was cut off and a face appeared in front of his own, uncomfortably close. The man was leaning over the table, resting his chin on his hand as he hit on Baekhyun.

"Hey there, gorgeous. What are you doing here all by yourself?"

"I-I... I'm not alone," Baekhyun stuttered nervously before he heard Chanyeol clear his throat.

"He's with me." The stranger stood and turned to look at Chanyeol and backed away with his hands up in surrender when he realized the way the giant towered over him, mumbling apologies as he went. "Are you okay, babe?"

Baekhyun was shaking. He grabbed one of the beers from the table and took a large gulp to settle his nerves before answering.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine."

"You don't look fine, Baek. You look terrified." Chanyeol sat down and pulled Baekhyun into his lap. Baekhyun melted into him, leaning against his solid chest and burying his face in the collar of his leather jacket.

"I'm sorry," Baekhyun mumbled.

"It's okay. I won't leave you alone again."

Baekhyun shook his head. "I wasn't scared of that guy. Guys hit on me all the time. I'm used to it."

"And so modest," Chanyeol joked, bringing a small smile to Baekhyun's lips. "Then what were you afraid of?"

"It... it's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Do you want me to take you home?" As much as he didn't want their date to end yet, Chanyeol wanted to make sure Baekhyun was comfortable.

"Of course not!" Baekhyun shook his head firmly. "I want to hear your friend play."

It was just then that the band filed onto the stage and Baekhyun shifted back to his own chair, scooting it closer to Chanyeol's so he could rest his head against his shoulder. A spotlight hit the stage and Baekhyun gasped.

"Is that Yixing?"

Chanyeol nodded. "It's his band. He plays here every Friday."

The music was acoustic and very laid back. Yixing played guitar and sang a bit, his voice high and light. Baekhyun couldn't understand the lyrics because they were mostly in Chinese, but he liked the calm, relaxing vibe.

When the band finished their set Chanyeol tried to get Yixing's attention, which turned out to be quite difficult.

"I told you he's a bit spacey," Chanyeol chuckled as he pulled Baekhyun toward the band. "Hey! Yixing!"

"Oh, hey Yeol," Yixing said when he finally heard Chanyeol. "How did we do? I was feeling a bit off tonight."

"Nah, it was great," Chanyeol assured him.

"It was really lovely Yixing," Baekhyun added.

Yixing turned to him and gave him a vacant look that made him feel like Yixing was looking past him more than at him.

"Sorry, who are you?"

"This is Baekhyun," Chanyeol introduced him as he stepped closer, putting his arm around Baekhyun's shoulders. "He works with us now. His first night is tomorrow."

"Oh. Yes, I heard you sing with Chanyeol at open mic. You're very good."

Baekhyun blushed and thanked him. "You're very talented as well. I really enjoyed the show."

"Ah, thank you." Yixing was about to say something else, but one of his friends called to him in Chinese. He bowed to them both and walked away without a proper goodbye.

"Uh, he probably won't come back," Chanyeol laughed. "He may not even remember meeting you in a few minutes. Did you want to grab some food and head back to the apartment?"

Baekhyun nodded and reached for Chanyeol's hand.

 

Later that night as they laid sprawled on the couch, Baekhyun turned to Chanyeol and kissed him sweetly.

"Thank you, Yeollie. I had a really wonderful day with you."

"Mmm, you're quite welcome babe. You look sleepy. Do you want to turn in?"

Baekhyun stood, then turned to help Chanyeol up. "Come on Yeol. Let's go cuddle."


	20. 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 20 chapters in and I finally decided I needed to talk directly to you guys.
> 
> First of all let me say how thankful I am for every subscriber, every comment, and all the kudos. You guys are amazing and I probably wouldn't have made it past the first couple of chapters if not for all of the support. I especially want to thank yeolbiased on AFF. Girl, you inspire me to keep writing. Thank you so much!
> 
> And second, this was a really difficult chapter for me to write. Nothing would come out right and every time I got a few sentences down I would read it back and think, Yuck! and have to delete it. So it took awhile to write and I'm not completely happy with all of it (and I didn't even get to the part I was aiming for which was Baekhyun's first night at work) but while the words may not be what I wanted them to be, the plot is exactly where it's supposed to be.
> 
> So anyway, as always, comments are welcome. Let me know what you think. Also, you're always welcome to send me a private message on AFF if you have any questions or comments you'd rather not share publicly. My username is the same here and on AFF.
> 
> Thanks everyone!

Today was the day, Baekhyun's first day of work. He nearly jumped out of bed when he woke, body practically vibrating in anticipation.

"Calm down babe," Chanyeol scolded him. "We still have hours before we have to be at the club and I want to enjoy my time with you."

"I'm sorry," Baekhyun said with a sheepish smile. "I can't help it. I've never had a job before, and this is the first time since school that I've had a chance to perform in front of a crowd."

Truthfully, Chanyeol found it rather cute how Baekhyun bounced around the apartment all morning. He watched Baekhyun wiggle and hop and even heard a few high pitch squeals when they were in separate rooms. His body only became still when they began rehearsing after breakfast.

Both of them were seated on the edge of the couch in the living room, Chanyeol with the guitar in his lap and Baekhyun with lyric sheets spread on the coffee table in front of him. They had been working for a couple of hours without a break when Chanyeol set aside his guitar and stood to stretch.

"I think we're ready," Chanyeol stated, dropping back onto the couch and pulling Baekhyun into his lap. "We are going to sound amazing tonight. Are you nervous?"

"Not really... more like excited."

Chanyeol chuckled. "I can tell. You're like a little ball of energy today."

"Hey!" Baekhyun protested, pouting slightly. "I told you I'm not little. It's not my fault you're a giant and think everyone is small." Chanyeol's booming laughter sent deliciously tingly vibrations through Baekhyun's body. He shivered in response and dropped his head to Chanyeol's shoulder. "Mm, Yeollie... your voice still does things to me. Things we might not want to happen on stage."

"You're not going to faint on me tonight, are you?" A worried expression crossed Chanyeol's face as he asked, but Baekhyun flushed a deep shade of pink.

"I'm more worried I'll kiss your face off," he mumbled, earning more laughter from Chanyeol.

"I promise I won't let you embarrass yourself," he assured Baekhyun. "Are you hungry? I thought we could grab a burger before we have to get ready for work."

Baekhyun nodded and allowed Chanyeol to help him layer on his sweaters and jackets to brave the weather.

 

Nothing in Baekhyun's life to-date could compare to being with Chanyeol, and it was especially clear to him when they went out together. Chanyeol was a gentleman. He opened doors for Baekhyun, guided him with a hand on the small of his back as they walked, and waited patiently while Baekhyun decided what to order at restaurants.

As they made their way back to the apartment, a bag of food in one of Chanyeol's hands, Baekhyun reached for the other hand and intertwined their fingers. He snuck a look at Chanyeol's face when he felt his grip tighten and couldn't help but smile because Chanyeol looked positively giddy. Baekhyun thought that Chanyeol's goofy grin, like his voice, was something he would never get used to and never tire of.

Lost in his own thoughts, Baekhyun failed to notice the end of the sidewalk and was shocked breathless when Chanyeol jerked his arm roughly, catching him against his body before he could step out into traffic. "Sorry," Baekhyun mumbled as they waited for the walk signal to flash. "I got distracted." He gave a breathless laugh, but Chanyeol was not amused. He clutched the bag of food to his chest, most likely squishing their burgers, attempting to calm his racing heart. Baekhyun had been only a couple of steps away from being flattened by the truck that roared past and it had scared Chanyeol.

"If you can't watch where you're going I'll be forced to tag along with you everywhere to keep you safe," he tried to joke, but the words were strained and Baekhyun could tell Chanyeol's nerves had just been fried. He reached up and touched Chanyeol's cheek softly, waiting for him to look down.

"Hey, I'll be careful. I promise. I'm sorry I scared you." Chanyeol nodded and tried to return Baekhyun's gentle smile. The walk signal flashed, and Chanyeol held Baekhyun's hand even tighter as they walked the last half block to the apartment.

Once the door shut behind them, Chanyeol dropped the bag onto the kitchen counter and turned to pull Baekhyun into a bruising hug.

"Jesus, Baek! Don't ever do that again. I almost had a heart attack." The words were muffled into Baekhyun's neck, but he understood them and hugged back with equal strength. When it became clear that Chanyeol was not ready to let him go Baekhyun adjusted so that one hand could rub soothing circles between his shoulder blades, knuckles kneading at the tense muscles there while he tangled long, slender fingers into Chanyeol's hair with the other hand.

"Yeollie?" Chanyeol didn't move, but grunted in response. "I don't think I've ever said this before, but I'm really hot. Can we maybe continue this once I'm wearing a little less?" Thankfully, this drew out a choked little laugh and Chanyeol pulled back to help Baekhyun remove his outerwear.

 

Chanyeol refused to leave Baekhyun alone for the rest of the afternoon. It was cute, especially when he blushed all the way down his shoulders as he insisted that they shower together.

"It's not like I haven't seen you naked already," he reasoned. "I promise I won't try anything with you. I just need to know that you're safe."

"You realize that I've been bathing myself since I was like five years old, right?" Baekhyun giggled. "What has gotten into you anyway?"

"Please, just... it'll make me feel better, okay?"

Baekhyun finally relented because it was getting late and he was pretty sure he wouldn't have time to apply his makeup and style his hair if they stalled any longer. He hesitated slightly as Chanyeol stripped down to get in the tub. It amazed him how comfortable Chanyeol acted, as if being naked in front of him was an everyday occurance. Sure, they  _had_ seen each other before, but that had been in the heat of the moment. Ever since that night they had been rather modest around each other, leaving the room so the other could change and such.

It took Baekhyun a few extra minutes to finally peel his boxers off and climb into the tub behind Chanyeol. He wrapped his arms around his middle to cover his stomach, but realized how silly that was because how could he shower without his hands. Chanyeol made sure he didn't have to worry about that though, adjusting the shower head to reach them both and wetting Baekhyun's hair so he could shampoo it for him. He gently guided Baekhyun back into the spray again to rinse his hair as Baekhyun slowly relaxed and dropped his hands.

When Baekhyun was clean from head to toe he returned the favor, massaging shampoo into Chanyeol's hair and scrubbing him with shower gel. He studied every line and curve of Chanyeol's body as he watched the bubbles slide down until they were washed away down the drain. Chanyeol reached back to turn the water off and grabbed a pair of towels off of the rack. He handed one to Baekhyun as he used the other to pat himself down, making sure he wouldn't drip, before wrapping it around his hips and stepping out onto the tiled floor.

Baekhyun followed his lead, wrapping his own towel slightly higher, and they silently got dressed for work.


	21. 21

"How do you take so long to get ready?" Baekhyun called from the living room where he waited for Chanyeol, already wrapped in coats and scarves and pulling on his mittens. "I had to put on makeup. I was sure I'd be the one holding us up."

Emerging from the bathroom, Chanyeol tossed his head back to get his fringe out of his eyes. "I'm not used to having to straighten my hair. It always takes longer than I anticipate."

Baekhyun looked up and was momentarily speechless. "Wow," he breathed, raking his eyes over Chanyeol's body from the jeans hanging low on his hips to the tight T-shirt that couldn't hide the chiseled muscles underneath. Even his hair was stunning, straight but slightly fluffy, still falling across one eye.

"I could say the same," Chanyeol nearly groaned. Baekhyun wore black skinny jeans that hugged the curves of his thighs and ass in a way that made Chanyeol's mouth water. His dark brown hair was pushed up off of his forehead in an intentionally messy way, but it was his eyes that really caught Chanyeol's attention. Lined with kohl and smudged at the edges to create a smoky effect, they sparkled against his smooth, fair skin. "You look..."  _Don't say fuckable!_ "amazing," he finished, relieved by his own self-control.

Baekhyun blushed and would have looked away, but he couldn't tear his eyes off of Chanyeol's. "Thanks," he mumbled. "We better go. You've made us late."

Chanyeol remained overprotective as they walked to the club. He kept an arm over Baekhyun's shoulder, gripping tightly whenever they reached an intersection. Baekhyun got a little tickled by the behavior but didn't say anything and fortunately Chanyeol visibly relaxed once they entered the club.

"Hello, Baekhyun," Minseok called when they walked in. "Chanyeol will show you where to put your things and then you can meet me in the office." Baekhyun and Chanyeol both nodded, heading toward the employee lockers.

The excited energy Baekhyun had been radiating all day seemed to wash right out of him. He was obviously nervous, nearly trembling.

"It's okay," Chanyeol reassured him. "Minseok hyung probably just has some paperwork for you to fill out. You're not in trouble." Baekhyun nodded but still seemed rather anxious. "I need to go help Yixing set up the stage. Will you be okay?" He nodded again, a jerky motion, and swallowed hard trying to relax.

When he reached the office the door was open and Baekhyun was surprised to find that Minseok was not alone.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Baekhyun apologized. "Am I interrupting?"

"No, of course not, Baekhyun. Have a seat. This is my boyfriend, Jongdae."

"It's nice to meet you!" Jongdae smiled brightly at Baekhyun and held out his hand to shake. He was small, like Baekhyun (though he wouldn't admit that he was small) with a pretty mouth that curled up into a natural, resting smile. His cheekbones were sharp and curly, light brown hair fell messily across his forehead. Though he was dressed modestly in black slacks and a deep green button down, it was obvious that he was well built beneath. Baekhyun idly wondered how everyone who worked at the club could be so attractive before he realized that Jongdae probably didn't work for his boyfriend.

"Oh, yes," Baekhyun said when he became aware of his own awkward staring. "Nice to meet you too." He shook Jongdae's hand before turning back to Minseok who was giving him a look that said, _'Yes, he's pretty, but he's mine so look but don't touch'_ as he handed him a packet of new-hire paperwork.

"I'm going to go check on Chanyeol and Yixing. You can just leave those on the desk and meet us on stage when you finish."

Minseok left the office and Baekhyun began filling out the papers, not noticing that Jongdae was still observing him from the corner. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Jongdae spoke.

"So, you're the new singer?"

"Um... yes. Tonight is my first night."

Jongdae flopped into Minseok's chair opposite Baekhyun and continued to distract him. "I used to be the singer here," he said as he leaned onto the desk, resting his chin in his palm. "I bet I'm a better singer than you."

Baekhyun looked up at him without lifting his head. "Well then why aren't you singing here anymore?"

Jongdae shrugged. "I would rather spend my time here bent over this desk."

"Please tell me you're kidding." Baekhyun found Jongdae's candor (or teasing... he wasn't sure which) a bit off-putting. "Should I just fill these out in my lap?"

"You think we haven't done it in that chair?" Jongdae asked.

"Dae!" They both jumped when they heard Minseok scolding Jongdae from the doorway. "Leave that poor boy alone. Chanyeol will have my ass if you scare him off."

"I'd like to have your ass," Jongdae growled and Baekhyun just wished that Jongdae would leave so his face could return to a normal, less pink shade.

"Dae," Minseok warned. Jongdae raised his hands in surrender and winked at Baekhyun over his shoulder as he walked away. "I'm sorry about him. He can be a little inappropriate." Baekhyun nodded at Minseok who smiled warmly before leaving him alone in the office. He wondered whether Jongdae had been telling the truth and cringed when he decided that he probably had been. Baekhyun completed the paperwork as quickly as possible so that he could escape the office.

As Baekhyun joined the rest of the employees around the stage he was caught off guard by a large pair of arms wrapping around his neck from the side. He turned his head to find Jongin smiling at him, his eyes crinkling at the sides.

"I'm so happy for you hyung!" he said, bouncing on his toes, and Baekhyun thought his high laugh was absolutely adorable.  _No wonder Kyungsoo likes him._

"Um, thank you, but why?" he asked, giggling at Jongin's enthusiasm. People were always comparing Baekhyun to a puppy, but he could see similar qualities in Jongin.

"Because of you and Chanyeol." Okay, now Baekhyun was really confused.

"What about us?"

"Well, actually I'm happy for both of us because now that you're with Chanyeol I can actually spend time with Soo."  _Ah, I knew it!_ Baekhyun didn't know what else to say so he just nodded as he attempted to wiggle out of Jongin's overly-friendly hug.

Thankfully he was saved when Chanyeol caught Jongin's eye, giving him a look that suggested he might lose his arms if he didn't remove them from Chanyeol's boyfriend.

"Sorry, hyung," Jongin said, still grinning as he released Baekhyun. "And I'm sorry for being a jerk when we met. I didn't know why you were staying with Soo, and I was feeling a little jealous because he'd turned me down when I asked if I could come over."

Baekhyun hadn't realized that Kyungsoo had been rearranging his life to accommodate him and suddenly felt bad for being a burden to his friend. He shook off the unpleasant thought. Just for tonight he wanted to concentrate on himself and his own happiness. At this moment all he wanted to think about was singing on that stage with his boyfriend.


	22. 22

_This is it!_  Baekhyun thought as he, Chanyeol, and Yixing filed up the steps and onto the stage. Minseok was standing behind the microphone, introducing them. Baekhyun had hoped the manager wouldn't make a huge deal of it, but apparently Minseok was excited about their new singer. He was using phrases like "wonderfully talented" and Baekhyun wasn't entirely sure he was being described accurately. The praise brought color and heat to his face and his stomach churned in anticipation. As he waited for Minseok to move so he could take his place he felt a hand rest on his back and warm breath against his ear.

"You're gonna do great, babe," Chanyeol whispered. He always seemed to know when Baekhyun needed reassurance, and Baekhyun felt his nerves settle some. He thanked Minseok, smiled at the audience, and took a deep breath as the house lights dimmed.

The crowd was blocked from his vision by the bright light directed at him, but he could hear Kyungsoo cheering for him over everyone else. His heart felt like it would burst from the overwhelming support of his friend and boyfriend and he knew the moment Chanyeol and Yixing began playing that what Chanyeol had said was true. They were gonna do great!

He sang for almost an hour before their break. Chanyeol's harmonies wove through his melodies in an intoxicating blend. It took most of Baekhyun's resolve not to break down between songs, tangle his hand in Chanyeol's hair, and drag him down into a passionate liplock. It was especially difficult when Chanyeol had a line by himself and Baekhyun could hear that raw bass voice tickling his ears and vibrating in his chest. He managed to restrain himself, but barely.

When their break finally came, all three performers joined Kyungsoo and Jongin at a table. Yixing sat with his water bottle, staring into space while a sweaty Chanyeol pulled an equally sweaty Baekhyun into his lap. _Who knew stage lights could make you so hot?_  Baekhyun immediately thought something was a little... off about the way Kyungsoo was treating Jongin.

"You guys, that was incredible," Kyungsoo gushed. Baekhyun blushed and thanked his friend, watching how he practically ignored Jongin sitting right next to him. Jongin reached over to place his hand on Kyungsoo's knee, but Kyungsoo merely patted Jongin's hand twice before removing it. Jongin looked like a toddler who'd been given a time-out. His gaze dropped to the table and he fidgeted with his drink in silence as everyone around him conversed.

"Hey, Soo," Baekhyun said as he stood and grabbed Kyungsoo's hand, "I need to check my makeup. Come with me. We'll be back in a sec!" he called to Chanyeol and Jongin. _Why bother trying to get Yixing's attention? It could take all night._  As soon as the bathroom door closed behind them he turned on Kyungsoo. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What?" Kyungsoo's eyes were wider than usual and he suddenly felt a little too warm, unsure exactly what Baekhyun was accusing him of.

"Don't play dumb with me!" Baekhyun reprimanded. He wasn't going to put up with any bullshit tonight. "Why are you being so mean to Jongin? I know you guys are... dating or something. Why are you giving him the cold shoulder? He looks absolutely miserable and it's making me sad."

"Wait, you know?" Kyungsoo's eyes grew impossibly wider.

"Of course I know! I mean I suspected before, but after Jongin hugged me earlier--"

"What do you mean he hugged you?" Kyungsoo's eyes narrowed in jealousy and his hands balled into fists. Baekhyun briefly wondered how he could go from feighning innocence to looming frighteningly in less than two seconds. "Why would he hug you?"

"Would you calm down? He was just happy because he gets to spend time with you now that I'm staying with Chanyeol, and then you go and ruin his good mood by acting like you're not together. His feelings are hurt, Soo. Make it better!" Baekhyun poked Kyungsoo in the forehead before turning on his heel and exiting the bathroom to join Chanyeol and Yixing who were making their way back to the stage.

"What was that about?" Chanyeol asked quietly, leaning close so Baekhyun could hear.

"Just a little attitude problem that needed fixing," Baekhyun waved his hand to indicate it was no big deal.

For the entire second hour of his friends' set Kyungsoo sat alone at his table thinking about Jongin. He hadn't realized Jongin's feelings had been hurt. They'd been like that for so long, keeping their relationship a secret for one reason or another, that he hadn't noticed the misery it caused them.

At first it had been Jongin's idea. He'd been in several short-lived relationships and had no desire to go around telling everyone about Kyungsoo just to have it fall apart again. The longer their relationship lasted, the more he wanted to shout it from the rooftops just how happy he was and that he belonged to Kyungsoo and vice versa.

The issue then became Kyungsoo. He could see his friends suffering in their own romantic lives and refused to rub his happiness in their faces. Chanyeol's little... thing with Sehun had been a temporary problem, but Baekhyun's previous relationship was a long, ongoing heartache and Kyungsoo was less than comforting at the best of times. Telling Baekhyun about Jongin had seemed unwise.

But now both Chanyeol and Baekhyun were happy... together. _So why are we still keeping our relationship a secret?_

He could think of no logical reason why he and Jongin couldn't be openly happy just like Baekhyun and Chanyeol, just like Minseok and Jongdae, and he resolved that this would be the last night that they had to keep this secret.

Baekhyun and Chanyeol ended their set with one of their new favorites. Baekhyun was at the piano, Chanyeol on the guitar, both singing the hauntingly beautiful melody in turns with Baekhyun occasionally bringing in a little high harmony. It was a nice, slow song, perfect to end the night. A few couples were dancing, holding each other close and swaying to the rhythm of the music. The crowd had mostly died down and Minseok had taken over the bar to give Jongin a break.

Kyungsoo made his way over to his boyfriend to take his hand, but when he reached out Jongin drew back. Though disappointed, Kyungsoo figured he deserved it.

"Jongin..." Kyungsoo started, but stopped when he received a glare. "Sorry," he mumbled as he looked down at the bar.

"Jongin-ah," Minseok called. "Could you come here for a second?" he said sweetly. As soon as Jongin was within range Minseok smacked the back of his head.

"Ouch! What the hell, hyung?"

"Don't you 'what the hell' me," Minseok answered in a dangerously quiet voice. "Did you think I didn't see that? Don't make me scold you like Baekhyun did Kyungsoo earlier. Be nice to your boyfriend."

Jongin's eyes widened in surprise. "You know?"

"Mhmm. I also know that boy has been sitting alone at his table for an hour now, thinking about the way he treated you during his friends' break. He obviously feels bad. Don't make it worse. Let him apologize." He looked up at Jongin with his eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, okay," Jongin sighed and Minseok nodded and shooed him off to go make up with Kyungsoo.

Jongin came around the bar and sat on the stool beside Kyungsoo. "Hey," he said, but he kept his eyes on the counter just like Kyungsoo.

"Hey," Kyungsoo mumbled. He hadn't realized how close he was to tears until he tried to speak. His throat seemed to close up and he couldn't get a deep enough breath.

"Soo... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so upset earlier."

"No, Jongin it was my fault. Please let me explain." Jongin looked up and nodded to show he was listening. "I know we've talked about all the reasons to keep our relationship private--"

"You mean secret," Jongin interrupted and Kyungsoo gave him an exasperated 'will you just listen?' look. "Sorry, go on."

"Yes, secret. We discussed your original insecurities and then later my fear of hurting my friends, but I just realized tonight that they're all happy now. They aren't hiding anything. They're just living their lives like no one else's opinions matter, and I'm jealous. I'm so fucking jealous! I want what they have, Jongin. I want to be happy like they are."

"Then let's do it," Jongin insisted and Kyungsoo looked up with more hope in his eyes than he'd felt all evening.

"Do you mean that?"

"Kyungsoo, are you under the impression that I'm embarrassed to be with you?"

"Are you?"

"Baby, no." Jongin turned Kyungsoo so they were facing each other and cupped his face in his hands. "Baby, I love you so much. I could never be embarrassed by you," and Kyungsoo, so overwhelmed with love for Jongin, leaned forward and initiated their very first public kiss.


	23. 23

The door to Chanyeol's apartment burst open as he and Baekhyun stumbled inside, attached at the lips and frantically pushing at each other's clothing to get it out of the way. Baekhyun backed away to pull his sweater over his head as he muttered, "Why does performing with you feel like foreplay?"

It was true. The way Chanyeol's voice sent tingles down his spine, made him shiver involuntarily, was intoxicating. Baekhyun was rapidly becoming addicted to the feeling, the slight light-headedness that washed over him as his blood rushed away from his brain at an alarming speed. He had even spent several minutes during a rehearsal just watching Chanyeol's fingers move against the strings of his guitar, wishing he could feel them moving across his skin in a similar way.

_Fuck, that's so sexy,_  he'd thought.  _Those gorgeous, long fingers would feel so good pressing--_  but then his daydream had been interrupted when Chanyeol stopped playing because Baekhyun had missed his entrance twice.

By the time they reached the living room Baekhyun was down to just his pants and t-shirt while Chanyeol was wearing only his jeans, the button already undone.

"Couch or bed?" Baekhyun asked as he pawed at Chanyeol's pants, trying to work them down his hips. He stopped when he felt fingers wrapping around his wrists, stilling his hands, and looked up questioningly. "Chanyeol?"

"Baek... too fast." Chanyeol's mind was in a haze of lust. He needed Baekhyun to stop touching him long enough for him to think clearly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, but when he opened them again the look Baekhyun was giving him nearly broke his heart.

"You don't want me?" Baekhyun asked pitifully.

_Oh, no. No, no, no. That's not it at all and now I've hurt him._  "That's not... no, Baek. I  _do_ want you. I want you so fucking bad! I have since the moment you crawled into my lap on Kyungsoo's couch, I just... We're not ready."

"By 'we' you mean  _you_. Because _I'm_ completely ready for this," Baekhyun retorted bitterly.

"How? How do you know? How could you possibly be so certain?"

"How can you _not_ know?"

"I... you... we just... AAAGH!" Chanyeol groaned loudly in frustration as he dropped to the couch, threading his fingers into his hair and tugging to relieve some of the stress.

_He's scared,_  Baekhyun realized, and he crouched down to lean his forehead against Chanyeol's, reaching up to ease his hands away from his head.

"Hey. Hey, Yeollie?" Baekhyun murmured. "Talk to me. Yeollie, please? I can tell this is important to you so please just... explain it... so I understand."

"Of course it's important. It's you. Everything is important when it's you." Heaving a shuddering breath, Chanyeol raised his eyes to meet Baekhyun's. "You couldn't possibly know this because we've only known each other for a little over a week and we haven't talked about it, but my last relationship was a bit... one-sided," he grimaced. "I had feelings for him, but all he wanted was sex. He left me when he found someone he thought fucked him better."

There was a long pause before Baekhyun decided Chanyeol wasn't going to continue on his own.

"Yeol, I'm so sorry." He didn't know what else to say. He felt like he only had half of the information.

"I just don't want us to end up that way. You already mean so much to me. I don't want to screw it up."

Baekhyun snorted. "You think sex would screw it up?" he asked. Chanyeol let out a distressed whine to let Baekhyun know he didn't think it was funny and Baekhyun gave him an apologetic look. "Okay, I get it. We'll wait. Take all the time you need. I'm not going anywhere." He climbed up in Chanyeol's lap, pushing him back into the couch and resting his head against Chanyeol's broad, bare chest.

Baekhyun waited and waited for Chanyeol's breathing to even out, for his racing heart to calm, but it never did. When he looked up again he could still see fear in Chanyeol's expression. Leaning close enough for his lips to brush against Chanyeol's cheek he whispered, "Is kissing still okay?" He felt Chanyeol nod and bent down to nibble his earlobe. "Good," he breathed.

Working his way back toward Chanyeol's lips, Baekhyun left sloppy, open-mouthed kisses all along his jaw and across his cheek. He reached behind his back to grasp Chanyeol's wrists, moving his hands to rest on his ass. "Stop me if I make you uncomfortable."

Chanyeol grunted and squeezed, kneading his fingertips into the soft flesh. Baekhyun pushed his hips back, settling further into Chanyeol's hands with a moan. He dipped his head and mouthed along Chanyeol's shoulder, barely grazing his teeth against the skin. "Ah... harder baby." Baekhyun obliged, sinking his teeth in and leaving a bright red ring of marks just at the curve of his shoulder. Chanyeol's chest rumbled as he groaned and Baekhyun shivered.

"Nh, on second thought, we probably shouldn't..." Baekhyun whined. "I don't know if I'll be able to stop myself if we go much further."

Chanyeol whimpered but allowed Baekhyun to pull away. "I'm sorry. I'm making things more difficult for us." He groaned again and closed his eyes, dropping his head onto the back of the couch.

Baekhyun gently coaxed Chanyeol's head back up and pressed soft, chaste kisses on his forehead, cheeks, and lips. "It's okay, Yeollie. I understand. I'll wait until you're ready."

"Mm, I need a cold shower now," Chanyeol muttered and Baekhyun giggled, laying his head on Chanyeol's shoulder.

"Can we just snuggle a bit longer? You're really cozy."

"As long as you want, babe." He wrapped his arms around Baekhyun's back again and hugged him closer.

For several minutes they sat there quietly in the dark living room, Baekhyun slowly melting into Chanyeol as all the stress of the day leaked out of his muscles, comfortably relaxed. Baekhyun broke the silence with a tentative question.

"Chanyeol? Can I ask you something?"

"I thought we established that you don't need permission to ask something," Chanyeol teased with a soft, tired laugh.

"That guy you were talking about?"

"Mhmm? What about him?"

"You said he found someone he thought fucked him better."

"Yeah, I guess. He didn't really say that specifically, but since our whole...  _thing_  was about sex for him I assumed that's what happened," he grumbled. Talking about Sehun was still a little uncomfortable.

"Does-" Baekhyun cut himself off, suddenly unsure if he wanted to ask.

"Go ahead, Baek. You can ask. I won't hide anything from you." Chanyeol was expecting to answer something about his past relationships. He had been through the awkward questions in with previous lovers. 'How many men have you been with?' 'Why did you break up?' 'How long were you together?' He was prepared for those kinds of questions. He was  _not_  prepared for Baekhyun's question when it finally came.

"Does that mean you top?"


	24. 24

_"Does that mean you top?"_

An anxious, squeaky croak escaped Chanyeol's throat as he attempted to form words to answer Baekhyun's question.

"I-I do. I m-mean I did? I mean... I have." He stumbled over the words of his reply. "Why do you ask? Don't you bottom?"

Baekhyun scoffed at Chanyeol, raising his head to show the offended expression on his face.

"Why would you assume that? Because I'm  _small_? Because I wear makeup? Or is it because you think you're more manly than I am?" he asked in a playfully accusing tone. Chanyeol's face scrunched up and his jaw opened and closed repeatedly but no sound came out. Completely flustered, he couldn't think of an answer. Finally Baekhyun took pity on him, giggling while saying, "It's fine Yeollie. I've never topped before. Your ass is safe."

"Never?"

"Nope, never," Baekhyun shook his head.

"Oh. Don't you want to try it? Aren't you curious?" Chanyeol asked, not even thinking about the fact that he was practically offering himself up for experimentation.

"Hmmm..." Baekhyun wrinkled his brows and tilted his head to the side for a moment before answering. "Not really. You said you _have_  topped. Does that mean you've bottomed too?"

Chanyeol flushed bright red and hid his face in his hands as he nodded.

"So, like... once?" Chanyeol shook his head and peeked at Baekhyun from between his fingers. "A few times?" He shook his head again. "Wait, are we a pair of bottoms here? You did say you topped your ex, right?" Another nod and finally it clicked in Baekhyun's head. "So, you had an ex who wouldn't bottom, yeah? Had you ever bottomed before him?"

"No, he was the only one," Chanyeol admitted, and Baekhyun thought he caught a glimpse of pain in Chanyeol's eyes but it was gone before he had a chance to confirm. "Ah, I don't really like to talk about him."

"Did he hurt you?" Baekhyun asked, his voice soft and fingers brushing gently against Chanyeol's jaw.

"No, not physically anyway," Chanyeol sighed. "It just... it wasn't a very pleasant breakup. Not that any breakup is pleasant, but... yeah. It's been a few years, but it still hurts."

"Sorry. You don't have to tell me anymore." Baekhyun wrapped his slender arms around Chanyeol's neck, combing his fingers through the short hair there as he nuzzled his face behind large, elf-like ears. Chanyeol buried his face in Baekhyun's shoulder, his own arms reaching to envelope his boyfriend in a comforting embrace. He lifted Baekhyun from the couch and carried him to the bedroom to cuddle him to sleep.

 

"Thanks for coming, Kyungie," Chanyeol mumbled into his styrofoam coffee cup.

"Of course," Kyungsoo looked around. "Baek isn't here?"

"No, I needed to talk to you alone." Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow at him. "What can you tell me about Baekhyun and his ex?"

Kyungsoo took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Has he told you anything?"

"No," Chanyeol shook his head. "He just said that he cheated on him."

"Look, whatever I tell you has to stay between us, and I'm only telling you to prepare you in case Baekhyun has some kind of meltdown." Kyungsoo waited for confirmation before moving on.

"I understand."

 

_Baekhyun took a year off after high school before he was supposed to start college. He told me his brain needed time to rest. He didn't have a job and still lived with his parents. He did practically nothing except hang out with friends and bum around, being as lazy as his parents would allow._

_One night we went to a club with a couple of friends. Baek and I had had a few drinks and he was feeling bold so he dragged me onto the dance floor. There was this guy watching us. I thought it was creepy, but Baek was being a sassy little flirt, loving the attention._

_The guy approached us. Well, he approached Baek and I was basically told to fuck off for the rest of the night because Baek wanted to go home with him._ _A couple of weeks later he introduced the guy from the club to us as his boyfriend and six months later he was living with the guy._

_It started out okay. The guy was creepy, but he seemed to take care of Baek. He paid for everything and Baek was totally spoiled. He didn't have to work, and the guy didn't pressure him about going to school like his parents had. For a while Baek brought the guy everywhere. Every party, every night out at the club... there he was. Then one day Baek quit coming out with us. Just like that, he was suddenly busy every time we called. I didn't see him for nearly a year, and even then it was because we just happened to run into each other while shopping._

_He looked awful, like he hadn't left the house in weeks and I'm pretty sure that was the case. He seemed nervous and tired, his hair was greasy and messy, and his skin was so pale. Actually, that was the first time I had ever seen him outside the house without makeup, without his hair styled._ _You know how excitable he is. He was nothing like that. It was like everything that made Baek who he was had been drained from him._ _He just looked... lifeless._

_After that he seemed to make an effort to contact me more often. We hung out a few times, but always with his boyfriend. Baek was never in a position to talk to me about the guy because the guy was_ always  _there. That went on for about six months until finally one night he knocked on my door. He was all alone and crying. I could barely calm him down enough for him to talk to me._

_He told me the guy was cheating on him. Some young kid had replied to one of his text messages saying his boyfriend was busy washing his cum off himself and couldn't come to the phone. I couldn't convince him to stay with me. He said he needed to be home when his boyfriend returned. I tried to argue that he shouldn't go home to a cheater, but he wouldn't listen to me._

_A few weeks later he confronted the guy who admitted what he'd done but blamed it on Baek, saying that if he'd been better in bed he wouldn't have to sleep around. I don't know how, but the guy persuaded him to stay. It was another four months before Baek called me to say he was ready to leave. I gave him a key to my apartment and told him to just come over whenever he needed to. Two nights later, while his boyfriend was out with his lover, Baek packed everything he could fit into one suitcase and a backpack and showed up at my door._

 

"I know you have some questions," Kyungsoo continued, "so I'll try to answer what I can before you ask. Clearly the guy was emotionally abusive, but I don't think Baek was ever physically or sexually abused. His ex had a temper, sure. It seemed like he took his anger out on other people or inanimate objects, but it was obviously violent enough to scare Baek into submission. Baek has never talked to me about their relationship, except for the night he told me about him cheating. Everything I know is what I witnessed firsthand. So, do you have any other questions?"

Chanyeol thought for a moment. Only one question came to his mind. Remembering their date and the man who had hit on Baekhyun, Chanyeol had to ask, "Did you ever see what happened if someone else flirted with Baekhyun in front of his ex?"

Kyungsoo paled and a shiver ran through his body like ice water had dripped down the back of his neck.

"I only saw it happen once. We were at a party with a couple of our friends from high school. A guy approached Baek while we were in the kitchen getting a drink. This kid was probably just barely 18 years old. He was sweet and gentle, touched Baek's cheek, his shoulder, his hand softly as he chatted him up and asked him to dance. His boyfriend was waiting for us in the other room, watching us. Before Baek could even let the kid down easy his boyfriend swooped in and decked him. One swift punch to the jaw and the kid was on the floor, trying to crawl away, but Baek's boyfriend wouldn't let him. He kicked him a few times, until the kid quit trying to move. I found out later he had lost a tooth and had two broken ribs."

_Well that explains Baekhyun's reaction the other night,_ Chanyeol thought.

"Anything else?" Kyungsoo asked, checking his watch. He needed to get home. Jongin would be getting off work soon and he wanted to have dinner ready when he arrived.

"No. That's all. Thanks Kyungie. I really appreciate your help."

Kyungsoo stood to leave, but placed a warm hand on Chanyeol's shoulder instead.

"Hey, Channie? I know I don't need to say this to you, but take care of Baek. He puts up a good front, but he's really more fragile than he lets on."

Chanyeol nodded. He watched Kyungsoo walk away, then sat there at his table, studying his cold coffee and thinking about the small, broken man waiting for him at home.


	25. 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, this chapter is dedicated to yeolbiased on AFF who is such a great cheerleader. She is constantly encouraging me, answering questions and offering helpful opinions. I decided to take her advice and "let the love-stricken pups do the deed" so... there ya go.
> 
> Thanks everyone for all the support! Comments are appreciated, but please go easy on me. I still get nervous about the really explicit sections, and this is by far the most explicit I've ever written.

A week. It had been a week since Chanyeol had disappeared on a Sunday afternoon only to return in a dismal mood. Even worse, Chanyeol hadn't made a single move to kiss Baekhyun since that day. They still cuddled and held hands, but anything beyond that was apparently off limits and Baekhyun was slowly losing his mind.

He was sitting at the bar at work, moping as he watched Chanyeol and Yixing set up their equipment on the stage when suddenly there was an unsettlingly wicked smile consuming most of his field of vision.

"Heeeeey, Baekkie!"

"Go away, Jongdae," Baekhyun grumbled. "I'm not in the mood for your teasing."

"Awwww, what's wrong sunshine?" Jongdae pouted. "You look progressively more depressed every time I see you." When Baekhyun didn't respond immediately Jongdae reached out to poke him repeatedly in the ribs. "Come on, Baekkie. Tell Dae what's got you down."

"No," Baekhyun said, pulling away as he hopped down from the stool to head for the employee lockers. He found himself being spun around forcefully, Jongdae's deceptively strong hands gripping his shoulders, until they were face to face again.

"Hey. I'm serious. What's going on? Do you not like the job?"

"No, no. I love the job. It's, uh," Baekhyun sighed. "It's not the job, no." He was certainly not going to have this conversation with Jongdae, not if he didn't want to be tormented about it for weeks to come. "Look, Jongdae, I really don't feel like talking right now, okay? Can you let it go, please?"

Jongdae groaned at him. "Ugh, fine. You're no fun, Baekkie," he whined childishly. For a moment Baekhyun thought he was actually off the hook, but then Jongdae slid his hands from Baekhyun's shoulders to his fingers and squeezed lightly, almost affectionately as he added, "If you ever need to talk though, I really am a good listener. I'm not an asshole troll _all_ the time."

"It's true." Minseok's warm voice in his ear made Baekhyun jump, and he turned to find another pair of concerned eyes studying him. "Jongdae has a wonderful heart," he said sweetly as he slipped around behind Jongdae to wind his arms around his waist, "and despite being inappropriate at times, he does know how and when to be a _good boy_." Baekhyun had to supress the urge to shudder at the way Jongdae visibly melted with those words. "He'd guard your secrets with his life, Baekhyun, but you don't have to worry about that right now."

"What?" Baekhyun wondered aloud.

"I know why you're upset. Don't be."

"What?" Baekhyun repeated. "That's it? Just don't be upset?"

"Mhmm," Minseok hummed. "Chanyeol will come around. He's just nervous. Give him time, and if you really can't stand the wait," Minseok shrugged, "talk to him."

"How could you possibly know what's going on between Chanyeol and me?"  _Are you a fucking mind reader?_

"I don't, but I know Chanyeol so I can guess. Don't. Be. Upset." Minseok repeated himself, tapping Baekhyun's nose with each word before bouncing away.

"He's right. Minseok is always right. Trust him." Jongdae insisted as he turned to follow his boyfriend back to the bar, leaving Baekhyun even more confused than before.

 

_Don't be upset. Don't be upset._  Baekhyun repeated the words in his head all night. He grinned at the crowd from the stage, pumped every bit of energy he had left into the performance, and was surprised when it went better than he had expected. He left the stage with a more genuine smile than his friends had seen all week. Amazingly, Minseok's advice seemed to have worked. He felt better, and the good feeling continued as he held Chanyeol's hand the entire walk home.

He followed Chanyeol's movements as he removed his shoes and hung his jacket on the hook by the door, finding himself abruptly overwhelmed by how beautiful the giant was. His smooth skin and the muscles that rippled beneath as he moved, his soft hair and the way it fell over one eye until he brushed it back with long fingers, his gentle smile when he caught Baekhyun checking him out.  _Oops!_

"You wanna take a picture, babe?" Chanyeol teased, Baekhyun's face blushing a rosy pink.

"No," he shook his head, still a bit dazed. "I want to touch." He stepped forward, closing the distance between them in just a few paces, and lifted his hands to Chanyeol's shoulders. Delicate fingers grazed Chanyeol's neck so lightly that it caused goosebumps to spread across his skin while at the same time feeling like flames licking at the flesh. The fingers then brushed down his chest to the hem of his shirt before sneaking under to trace the lines and curves of his abs. Chanyeol gasped, let out a shaky breath, and his eyelids dropped closed. He stood still and allowed Baekhyun to explore as he wished.

As one finger circled his navel, the other hand tugged at the shirt, silently requesting that Chanyeol remove it. A quiet noise of approval spilled from Baekhyun's lips as the material was pulled over Chanyeol's head revealing toned arms and pecs, and Baekhyun tried to contain himself, to resist the urge to attack Chanyeol's skin with his mouth. Of course it was impossible, but he did manage to keep from being _too_ violent.

Baekhyun's lips pressed against the hard, unyielding muscles of Chanyeol's stomach, extracting a moan from the giant and Baekhyun could swear he felt the vibrations against his lips and all the way down to his toes. He slowly made his way up to mouth at one nipple, a hand on Chanyeol's back, holding him closer even as he arched into the sensation, while the other roamed to find the other nipple to tweak it between two fingers.

"Fuck, Baek!" Chanyeol groaned.

"Chanyeol," Baekhyun whined, blowing a puff of warm air against wet skin that induced another round of goosebumps across the gloriously smooth skin.

"I can't..." Chanyeol began, sounding confused and already so utterly wrecked, and Baekhyun took a step back.

"I'm sorry. I won't make you do anything you don't want. I just wanted to touch you so bad." The words tumbled out of Baekhyun's mouth quickly, his eyes glued to the floor, embarrassed at the loss of self-control.  _How can I_ not _lose control when you're so fucking beautiful!_

"No," Chanyeol said as he reached for Baekhyun's hands and pressed them against his warm body again. "No, I can't wait anymore. I need you, Baek." Baekhyun hesitated, torn between his own desire and the need to respect Chanyeol's original intentions, but then, "Please," Chanyeol pleaded, high pitched and needy and effectively cutting every thread of restraint Baekhyun had still been holding onto.

When Chanyeol leaned down to capture his lips in a bruising kiss, Baekhyun threw himself into it with full force. They stumbled toward the bedroom, Chanyeol backing into the wall on the way and finding himself unable to move as Baekhyun pressed his whole body against the giant. Large hands gripped Baekhyun's thighs as Chanyeol lifted him to carry him to the bed.

Baekhyun was already shirtless and trying to wiggle out of his pants when Chanyeol dropped him onto the mattress, and Chanyeol couldn't take his eyes off of him as he pushed the pants past his hips and knees to kick them to the floor.

"I wanted to do that," Chanyeol murmured, "but that was kind of adorable so I'll let it slide." Baekhyun huffed out a laugh and motioned for Chanyeol to remove his pants as well as he scooted up the bed to lie back against the pillows.

In just a few seconds every stitch of clothing they'd been wearing was in a pile on the floor at the foot of the bed, and Chanyeol knelt between Baekhyun's legs, leaning forward to reach his lips. Baekhyun brought his hands up to thread into Chanyeol's hair, holding him closer, deepening the kiss as Chanyeol slipped his tongue into Baekhyun's mouth to explore. Baekhyun bucked his hips up to get Chanyeol's attention, brushing against his cock in a way that threatened to turn his body completely boneless.

He pulled away from the kiss to reach across to the nightstand for a bottle of lube. Baekhyun heard the click of the bottle as he waited, practically writhing on the sheets in anticipation. He felt a warm hand under his thigh, nudging his legs further apart, and willingly spread himself open for Chanyeol. One slick digit teasingly circled his entrance and he whimpered, wordlessly begging for Chanyeol to push it inside.

Slowly, Chanyeol eased the finger past the tight ring of muscle, Baekhyun letting out a sigh of relief at the gentle stretch as he ground himself down against Chanyeol's hand.

"More," he urged because Chanyeol's unhurried pace felt absolutely maddening, but Chanyeol refused to let Baekhyun rush him. He thrust his finger in and out steadily a few more times before adding a second and carefully scissoring them.

When a third finger finally joined the other two Chanyeol began probing, searching for Baekhyun's sweet spot, and knew he had found it when Baekhyun cursed loudly as he arched off the bed.

"Fuck, Chanyeol! I need... please,  _please!"_  he pleaded.

Chanyeol brushed his fingertips against Baekhyun's prostate once more, before removing his fingers completely, leaving Baekhyun feeling so painfully empty that he wanted to cry. He lay there trembling as he watched Chanyeol slick himself with probably more lube than necessary, then Chanyeol leaned forward to nibble at Baekhyun's neck.

Baekhyun's breath hitched when he felt Chanyeol preparing to enter him. "Are you ready?" Chanyeol asked, concern lacing his husky voice. "We can still stop if you're-" but his sentence was cut off abruptly with a sharp gasp as Baekhyun wrapped his legs around Chanyeol, forcefully pulling him forward and inside his tight walls.

Both of them groaned at the mind-numbing relief that spiked through their system. "Jesus, Baek! Fuck... you feel... holy shit... so fucking good!" Chanyeol choked out and Baekhyun practically purred at the praise as he panted in pleasure.

"You can move," Baekhyun said, swiveling his hips encouragingly and Chanyeol leaned in to kiss him once again as he pulled his hips back and snapped back in. Baekhyun's head dropped back, breaking the kiss to let out a loud moan.

Just like with the prep before, Chanyeol handled Baekhyun with the utmost care, thrusting slowly until Baekhyun was mindlessly begging for more, more, more. When Baekhyun couldn't take it any longer he tapped Chanyeol's shoulder twice. "Please, Yeollie. I want to ride you." Chanyeol hesitated for half a second before rolling them over so Baekhyun was on top, placing his hands on Chanyeol's chest for balance.

Baekhyun took a moment to enjoy the feel of the different angle, grinding his hips down and revelling in the control he now had. Finally, he started to move, bouncing his ass up and down on Chanyeol's cock at a much more satisfying pace. His head fell back when Chanyeol began thrusting up to meet him halfway and at some point, he wasn't sure when, he pushed himself up to arch his back, resting his hands on Chanyeol's knees behind him. Suddenly every thrust was hitting that sensitive spot and he relinquished control to Chanyeol yet again as he began to lose coherence.

"Yeollie," he nearly sobbed. "I'm so close. Please, make me come."

Once more Chanyeol flipped them, lifting Baekhyun's legs and bending him nearly in half. He increased the pace, fucking into Baekhyun at a nearly inhuman speed as Baekhyun moaned a continuous string of curses and something that vaguely resembled Chanyeol's name.

Chanyeol could feel Baekhyun's orgasm approaching as his body began to tense, every muscle tightening in anticipation until finally his back arched up off the bed and he screamed, cum spilling onto his stomach and chest. Chanyeol continued to thrust, though a little more erratically, as Baekhyun pulsed around him. He finally found his own release, filling Baekhyun with the warm, sticky liquid just as Baekhyun began to twitch at the overstimulation of every tiny movement. Chanyeol gently lowered Baekhyun's legs and collapsed onto his elbows, burying his face in Baekhyun's neck as they both tried to catch their breath.

"Holy fuck," Chanyeol panted.

"Yeah... that was..."

"Fucking incredible."

"Mmm, my thoughts exactly," Baekhyun agreed, giggling a little. "We should clean up."

"Gimme a minute. I just... wanna be inside you a little longer." Baekhyun hummed and nodded, bringing his hands up to trace patterns on Chanyeol's shoulders.

After a few minutes Chanyeol forced himself to get up, slipping out of Baekhyun who whined pitifully at the feeling of emptiness. He stepped into the bathroom, returning moments later with a warm, wet washcloth which he used to carefully wipe Baekhyun down. Baekhyun lay there watching fondly, limbs weak like jelly. Once they were both clean Chanyeol rejoined him in bed, pulling Baekhyun's back flush against his chest and tangling their legs. For the first time in a week they both fell asleep happy and sated.

 

\


	26. 26

Baekhyun had been working at the club for about a month and he was sure his life had never been better. Things with Chanyeol were perfect and he was enjoying his job. There had been a moment of shock when he had gotten his first paycheck. Chanyeol had said the pay wouldn't be much, but the amount on his check made Baekhyun wonder where Chanyeol had worked previously. When Baekhyun realized how much money he was making he tried to convince Chanyeol to let him help out with the bills, but Chanyeol had refused.

"Baek, I've been paying the bills here by myself for three years," He said. "You should spend your money on you."

But Baekhyun didn't want to spend his money on himself. He didn't want this relationship to be anything like his last one, didn't want to be taken care of, so he only took out a portion of his check for food and some new clothes for work and saved the rest. Baekhyun had no idea how to repay Chanyeol for all he'd already done for him.

Thankfully Kyungsoo saved him from his worry, showing up at the club on a Wednesday in the middle of November and asking Baekhyun for a few minutes alone. Baekhyun wasn't sure what to expect, but Kyungsoo had a serious look on his face. He just hoped it had nothing to do with Jongin. Chanyeol had to help break down the equipment after their set, so Baekhyun told him he was going to walk Kyungsoo home and Chanyeol could pick him up at Kyungsoo's apartment.

Kyungsoo began talking as soon as they exited the club, sounding both nervous and excited.

"So, Chanyeol's birthday is soon. I don't know if he has any plans, but I was thinking we should probably throw him a party. Nothing too flashy, he wouldn't want anything like that. Maybe like, me and you and the guys from the club could all get together at my apartment, have dinner or something. You don't have to do anything. I'll cook and have cake and stuff. Anyway, it's not for another ten days. Just, I want it to be a surprise so I'll need your help getting him there and all. Can you do that?"

_How could he not tell me about his birthday?_  Baekhyun thought as he listened to Kyungsoo ramble about the party, nodding to show he agreed with the idea and that he'd help in any way possible. The only other thought in his head was what to get Chanyeol as a gift. He had enough saved up after a few weeks of work that he could afford to get something really nice, but what would Chanyeol want?

Baekhyun and Kyungsoo were sitting at the kitchen table, quietly discussing party details such as food and guest list when Chanyeol and Jongin barged in an hour later.

"Hey, baby!" they shouted almost at the same time before bursting into fits of infectious giggles that soon had all four of them gasping for air and wiping happy tears from their eyes.

A strong pair of arms wrapped around Baekhyun from behind, a soft whisper against his ear. "Ready to go home and finish what we started on stage?" Baekhyun shivered and nodded, standing to say goodbye to Kyungsoo with a wink and a promise to finish their conversation later.

 

Five days later Baekhyun still had no idea what to get Chanyeol for his birthday. He was stressing about it, seriously debating asking Kyungsoo for help when Minseok and Jongdae cornered him, dragging him into the office for a chat.

"What is with you?" Jongdae started. "You know, the way you wear your emotions on your face I can tell half of what you're thinking just by looking at you."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Baekhyun lied, but Minseok never let him get away with anything.

"You think we're stupid?" he asked. It was rhetorical of course so Baekhyun kept his mouth shut. Maybe if he let Minseok lecture him without a fight it would be over quickly. "Chanyeol says you guys are happy and you clearly enjoy singing here. Did you get in a fight with Kyungsoo? Because that's the only reason I can think of for you to look like a rubberband stretched to its breaking point."

Baekhyun groaned, finally giving in. It wouldn't hurt to ask Minseok and Jongdae for advice, and if they couldn't help he could still talk to Kyungsoo later.

"You know how Chanyeol's birthday is in less than a week?" he began and Jongdae settled into Minseok's lap as they both nodded for him to continue. "I want to buy him a gift, but I have no idea what. You probably think I'm being silly, getting all worked up over it. I just really want it to be perfect to show how much I appreciate him and everything he does for me."

Jongdae barked out a loud laugh, but Minseok's expression was serious and thoughtful. "Let me think on it," he said, after a pause. "I'm sure we can come up with something." Slumping over in relief, Baekhyun thanked Minseok and hurried back out to the stage.

 

At the end of the night Minseok approached Baekhyun again and this time he willingly joined the manager in the office. "I have a few ideas for you," he told Baekhyun as he closed the door, "but we need have a serious talk about your anxiety over every little thing too." Minseok frowned and Baekhyun mirrored him.

"I can't help it. Everything  _does_  stress me out. I'm not used to having so much... freedom."

"I see. Okay then, we'll talk about that later. For now, here's what I think you should give Chanyeol for his birthday." Minseok listed off a few gift ideas, all thoughtful suggestions that spoke to the level of attention Minseok paid to his employees and friends. Baekhyun could only hope that one day he would know Chanyeol as well as Minseok seemed to know him.

He thanked Minseok again for his helpful advice, and then Baekhyun scurried off to find Chanyeol so they could walk home together. He ran through the list once more, but he was pretty sure he'd made a decision on what to buy for Chanyeol. Now, if he could only find an excuse to go out shopping on his own.


	27. 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a diversion from the main story. It is exclusively xiuchen and exclusively M rated. The events in this chapter have no effect on the plot. If you'd rather skip it then feel free to do so.

The apartment door fell shut behind Minseok as Jongdae was already making his way to the kitchen. It was sometime after 3:00 in the morning and they were both exhausted, in need of a bath and a bed.

"You go ahead and shower, Minnie." Jongdae called in the direction of the entryway where Minseok was still busy removing his coat and shoes. "I'll try to scrounge up something for us to eat." Minseok hummed in response, nearly tripping over his own tired feet as he walked toward the bathroom.

He took a quick shower, rinsing away the sweat and stress of work while Jongdae threw together a quick meal of stir fried vegetables and rice. And yes, after Minseok repeatedly walking him through it Jongdae had finally mastered the rice cooker. It beeped just as Minseok emerged from the bathroom dressed in boxers and a t-shirt and ruffling his wet hair with a towel. He padded over to Jongdae and wrapped strong arms around him, pressing soft lips to the nape of his neck.

"Will this keep?" he murmured.

"Eh?"

"The food," Minseok clarified. "Can we warm it back up later?"

Jongdae raised an eyebrow and glanced at Minseok over his shoulder. "Sure... Why? Are you too tired to eat now? I can put this away and we'll go to bed if you want."

Minseok shook his head. "You were so good today, baby," he whispered against Jongdae's neck. Jongdae shivered and his knees went weak, but Minseok had a tight hold around his waist, keeping him upright while he cut the heat on the stove. "What do you think your reward should be? Hmm?" Jongdae was already panting in anticipation. He had some ideas, but he was pretty sure Minseok had something in mind already. "Would you like to fuck me?" Minseok asked as he lifted a hand to brush his fingers lightly down Jongdae's bare arm. "Or would you rather I tie you up and tease you until you're begging me to let you come?" and this time his tone was dangerous, his breath ghosting across Jongdae's ear and shoulder and Jongdae shuddered violently.

"Yes... that," Jongdae nearly moaned just imagining what Minseok was planning.

"Mmm, good choice," Minseok purred, turning Jongdae around and twisting his fingers into the front of Jongdae's shirt to lead him to the bedroom. "Come, pet."

Jongdae allowed himself to be pulled down the hallway and into the bedroom. He pretended to fight back when Minseok removed his shirt and manhandled him onto the bed, straddling Jongdae's chest as he dug soft, velcro cuffs out of a nearby drawer and secured his wrists to the headboard.

"What do you think? Do we need to tie your feet down as well?" Minseok asked, scooting backwards and down Jongdae's body. He was about to give an answer, but all that came out was a gasp as Minseok had unbuttoned Jongdae's pants and was just barely grazing his half hard cock through his boxers with fluttering fingertips. Jongdae's knee jerked up on reflex, causing Minseok to chuckle. "I guess the answer is yes," Minseok said, sliding Jongdae's pants and boxers down his hips, letting them drag slowly down his legs and leaving his skin slightly tingly.

Minseok worked quickly to attach Jongdae's ankles to the end of the bed. He tested the restraints carefully to be sure they weren't too tight or loose. "Does that feel okay, baby?" Jongdae pulled gently with each limb and nodded. Minseok leaned down to capture Jongdae's lips briefly before backing away from the bed.

Jongdae knew when he saw Minseok retrieve a shoe box from the closet shelf that there would be toys involved this time. He watched Minseok lay out his supplies, arranging them out of sight behind a folded blanket so that everything would be a surprise. Finally he turned to Jongdae, placing an object next to his head on the pillow... a white bandana with a knot tied in the middle.

"You know the rules, right?" Jongdae nodded. He knew the rules. He also knew better than to answer verbally or that gag would go in his mouth a lot sooner. Minseok reached behind the blanket for a bottle of lube to slick two of his fingers. "Ready baby?" Jongdae nodded again and Minseok wasted no time, prodding gently at Jongdae's rim before smoothly sliding his middle finger in all the way to his knuckles.

The only sound Jongdae allowed himself to make was a sharp inhale through his nose. Tonight was a reward, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be punished if he broke the rules. Minseok was not subject to the same rules. He let out a happy sigh that ended in a small moan as Jongdae's walls clenched around his finger when he began to thrust.

Adding a second finger and working him open quickly, Minseok began brushing against Jongdae's prostate on every third or fourth thrust. Jongdae was finding it more and more difficult to stay quiet, biting his tongue first and then his lower lip to contain the noises that threatened to spill out as his entire body jerked with every graze of fingertips against the sensitive nerves inside him.

Suddenly all sensation stopped. Minseok removed his fingers and backed off of the bed. Jongdae wanted to whine, was just barely able to bite it back as he watched Minseok come around to his side. Minseok placed a knee on the bed, the mattress dipping beneath him as he leaned over to trap one of Jongdae's nipples between his teeth, lapping at it with his tongue. If he had been able to move Jongdae would have arched up into Minseok's mouth, but he couldn't so he just hissed through his teeth before clamping his mouth shut again.

Hands trailed down Jongdae's body from shoulders to knees, fingers lightly tracing patterns across his smooth skin and causing Jongdae to twitch and shiver. Goosebumps rose, spreading across the flesh covering his ribs and hip bones. Climbing back to his spot between Jongdae's legs, Minseok grabbed another item from behind the blanket, holding it low where Jongdae still couldn't see.  _A toy,_  he thought as he saw Minseok pouring lube over the item.

Something slick pressed at Jongdae's entrance,  _a plug,_  his mind provided as his muscles contracted in an attempt to jerk away to avoid the coldness of the lube. A small noise escaped his throat and he stilled completely, waiting to see if his infraction had been noticed. Either Minseok was too preoccupied to hear or he was in a forgiving mood because he continued gently working the plug into Jongdae's ass without pause.

The toy wasn't large, but once it was settled in place Minseok wiggled it a bit, prodding at Jongdae's prostate before letting go to reach for another hidden item. This time he held it up, waving it to draw Jongdae's attention.  _The vibrating plug,_  he realized, eyeing Minseok's finger as pressed the button to turn it on. The setting was low, but it sent waves of pleasure crashing through Jongdae's body and he knew he wouldn't last much longer without the gag.

Minseok had set the vibrator on a gradient option, the power ratcheting up a level every 30 seconds or so before cutting off completely for a spell. After three rounds of alternating pulses and pauses Jongdae could no longer hold his tongue, letting out a loud moan followed by a whimper when the vibrating stopped.

"Aww, you were doing so well baby." Minseok crawled up Jongdae's body, pressing against him as he reached for the gag and tied it swiftly. "Too tight?" he asked, slipping a finger under it to check himself. Jongdae shook his head to indicate it was as comfortable as a gag can possibly be. The knot rested against his tongue, holding it down while the fabric muffled any sounds that Jongdae did manage to produce.

Minseok hummed his approval, working his way back down the bed, leaving small kisses and nibbling at particularly sensitive areas as he went. Between the buzzing movement inside him and the attention to his upper body, the peak of which being Minseok lapping up the precome that had been pooling on his tummy, Jongdae was getting dangerously close to breaking yet another rule. He wasn't sure whether to be thankful or disappointed when Minseok sensed his impending orgasm and reached for the final surprise of the evening: a silicone cock ring which he settled at the base of Jongdae's dick just in time.

Jongdae's body convulsed violently as he came but didn't. There was no relief. Pleasure laced with the pain of oversensitivity coursed through every nerve in his body. He wanted to cry but the knot against his tongue threatened to gag him when an attempted sob thrust it into his soft palate. The vibrations stopped briefly, thirty seconds of relative freedom for Jongdae to try to catch his breath. Tears slid down his cheeks and toward his ears. He tried to wipe them against his shoulders but Minseok got there first, gently brushing them away with his thumbs.

"You're so good, baby," he murmured as he sucked at an earlobe, his warm breath sending shivers down Jongdae's spine. "Such a good boy for me."

Minseok retreated down his body once again, this time raking his nails down his chest as he went. Once he was settled between Jondae's thighs he sat up to remove his shirt, revealing lean, toned muscle that made Jongdae's mouth water. Minseok had positioned himself so that one knee was pressed against the plug, jostling it each time his body shifted on the bed. Jongdae tried not to cry out when the vibration reached it's highest setting and Minseok leaned in, pressing the toy into his prostate and bring him to a second dry orgasm.

Jongdae thrashed his head back and forth, his body trembling, screaming for release. If not for the rules and gag he would be begging Minseok.  _Please, please let me come!_  he shouted in his head.

Minseok could read Jongdae like a book. He could tell by his body language, his breathing, the noises he was desperately trying not to make that Jongdae was reaching his limit. "Just a little longer baby," he cooed. "You're doing so well. I'm so proud of you." Jongdae flushed at the praise.

Standing to remove his boxers, Minseok drizzled a bit of lube on his aching cock. He removed the ankle restraints, gently bending Jongdae's legs to stretch them out before he knelt between them to remove the plug. Jongdae panted, breathing slightly easier than he had been able to for the past half hour. His eyes rolled back as Minseok eased into him, longer and thicker than the toy and stretching him deliciously.

Minseok lifted Jongdae's legs to rest on his shoulders, praying he had the remaining strength to maintain the position. He began to move, not even bothering to go slowly. He snapped his hips quickly, burying himself deep in Jongdae's ass with every sharp thrust. Jongdae had lost the resolve to stay quiet, moaning loudly through the gag. He was so close, afraid Minseok wouldn't remove the ring in time.

The pace quickened. Minseok was giving Jongdae everything he had, drawing near his own climax. He reached down and removed the ring as he came, his cock pulsing and twitching against Jongdae's prostate and Jongdae's vision went completely white, thick ropes of cum painting his stomach and chest as his body arched like a bow.

Jongdae lost consciousness. When he came to his hands were free, the gag was removed, and he was clean and nestled against Minseok's chest, fingers stroking his head lovingly.

"There you are love," Minseok murmured. "There's my good boy. How do you feel?"

He evaluated himself quickly. Jongdae's nerves were still buzzing with pleasure, skin sensitive and tingly. His limbs felt like lead but his shoulders, hips, wrists, and ankles were only mildly sore. His ass hurt, but that was normal.

"I'm good," he confirmed, nuzzling closer to Minseok's chest.

"Do you want to sleep now?" Jongdae's answer was a sluggish nod that tapered away as he drifted off almost immediately. Minseok chuckled and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Sleep well," he whispered as he settled down against the pillows as well.


	28. 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait for this chapter. It took me forever to work it out in my head and even longer to get everything just the way I wanted it. Thank you to all my readers for being patient and sticking with me. I love you all!

 

"Let's go!" Baekhyun called from the doorway where he stood winding a scarf around his neck.

"What's the hurry?" Chanyeol yelled back. "It's just noodles. It'll wait." Baekhyun let out a frustrated groan and tapped his toes on the hardwood. "Fine, good grief, I'm ready."

"I need to stop by Soo's on the way," Baekhyun reminded Chanyeol as he locked the door behind them, "to pick up some music." Chanyeol nodded and grabbed Baekhyun's hand to lead him to the elevator.

 

"Where  _are_  they?" Kyungsoo growled as he paced back and forth in his kitchen. Jongin sighed from his seat at the table which had been laid out with all kinds of snacks and drinks surrounding a gigantic chocolate cake. He reached out to pull Kyungsoo into his lap the next time he passed and hugged him comfortingly.

"They're not that late yet, Soo," he murmured softly. "Don't worry, they'll be here soon."

Kyungsoo turned to glare at Jongin. "Baekhyun is so dead when he gets here!" he declared. "I'm going to throw him right off the balcony."

Minseok and Jongdae laughed from across the table while Yixing who sat between the two couples continued staring at the cake as he had been for the past twenty minutes.

Finally they heard a key in the lock and Chanyeol and Baekhyun entered the apartment. As soon as they came into view five voices shouted in unison (well, almost as Yixing was about a beat behind) a loud "Surprise!"

Chanyeol stumbled backwards, grabbing at anything within reach to keep from falling over. His fingers tangled in the back of Baekhyun's scarf and he lived the next few moments in slow-motion as his teetering balance shifted too far back, pulling Baekhyun with him. They tumbled to the floor in a jumbled heap of limbs.

"What the hell?" Baekhyun groaned, pushing himself back up to his feet. He scowled as he offered a hand to Chanyeol. "Happy birthday, you clumsy giant."

"It's my birthday?" Chanyeol asked tilting his head to the side in a way that made him look remarkably like a confused puppy.

"Are you kidding me? You don't even know when your birthday is?" Baekhyun shrieked.

"I'm not stupid, Baek. I know when my birthday is." Chanyeol muttered defensively, finally taking Baekhyun's offered hand and climbing back to an upright position. "I just don't know what day it is."

"Chan-" Baekhyun began but was cut off by Kyungsoo.

"Happy birthday, Channie," Kyungsoo said warmly and pulled Chanyeol into a friendly embrace.  _Well, that's... different._

"Thanks, Kyungie," he responded, gaze drifting over Kyungsoo's shoulder to finally take in the entire room. "You guys... It's... You're here for my birthday?"

"Of course!" Jongin confirmed, taking his turn to squeeze the breath right out of Chanyeol's lungs. He blamed the tears pooling in his eyes on the lack of oxygen. After everyone had their turn showing their love to the birthday boy they gathered in the living room with plates of food.

Chanyeol studied his friends as he ate. Yixing had brought a recording of his band and was translating the Chinese for a completely fascinated Baekhyun. Jongdae was bragging to Jongin about a prank he'd played on Yixing at the club. Minseok and Kyungsoo seemed to be commiserating (with fondness) over the difficulties of having a younger lover. They may be a small group, but Chanyeol felt he had been blessed with the best friends anyone could ask for.

It wasn't long before Yixing pulled out his guitar and Chanyeol took a seat at Kyungsoo's keyboard turning the party into an impromptu jam session. Kyungsoo, Baekhyun, and Jongdae took turns singing, and Baekhyun even discovered that Minseok had a lovely voice when he joined Jongdae for a duet. Finally, Kyungsoo announced it was time for cake and they all gathered around the table to sing Chanyeol happy birthday. Chanyeol briefly wondered how six young men who held such musical talent could sound so off key while singing such a simple song, but then it was time to make his wish and blow out his candles.

Over cake Chanyeol was presented with several small boxes wrapped in brightly colored paper with curly ribbons on top. He hadn't received presents on his birthday in such a long time that in his excitement he ripped the paper off of the first box like a small child on Christmas morning. As he lifted the lid he found a small wolf figurine, carved in brazilian cherry, stripes of honey blonde and warm red running through the wood. The animal was sitting with its bushy tail wrapped around its side and neck extended upwards in a silent howl. It was breathtaking. Chanyeol fumbled through the shredded paper on the table in search of the tag to see who it was from.

"Uh, that one's ours," Minseok volunteered, pushing a second box toward Chanyeol. "This is Yixing's."

Chanyeol was more careful with the paper this time, sliding his fingers under the tape and lifting it gently until he could unfold the edges and remove it in one piece. Yixing's box held another wolf, this one pewter, resting on its belly with its tongue lolling out the side of its mouth. The detail was incredible; each tiny tooth was visible and the fur looked as though it had been ruffled by a breeze.

The last two boxes revealed a pair of wolves made of glass. They were obviously a set. When Chanyeol placed them on the table together they seemed to be frozen in the midst of a battle, circling each other with their mouths curled into snarls.

All of the gifts were truly stunning and Chanyeol felt so grateful to have such wonderful friends.

"Um," Baekhyun cleared his throat to get Chanyeol's attention before he began to cry, "there's one more gift, but I'm afraid I didn't get the memo about the theme." He produced a small gift bag from behind his back and handed it to Chanyeol.

Under the tissue paper was a box, even smaller than the previous boxes, and Chanyeol was not remotely prepared for what he saw when he opened it. A sterling silver guitar pick engraved with Chanyeol's name rested on the velvet cushion inside the box. It hung from a delicate chain and when he removed it from the box he realized it was actually engraved on both sides, the back side showing Baekhyun's name. Chanyeol wanted to wear it, but his emotions were overwhelming, causing his hands to tremble and his fingers to fumble with the clasp.

"Here, let me help," Baekhyun offered, moving behind Chanyeol and securing the chain around his neck. "Do you like it?" Chanyeol let out a noise somewhere between a laugh and a sob and nodded his head furiously.

"Baby, it's perfect. Thank you, so much. All of you," he added, gesturing around the table. "This is the best birthday I've had in years."

"Ah, Minnie let's go before he cries," Jongdae teased, though it really was getting late.

After another round of hugs and birthday wishes Chanyeol and Baekhyun slowly made their way home hand in hand.

"Did you have fun?" Baekhyun asked.

"So much," Chanyeol confirmed. "Did you plan all that?"

"Oh, no. That was mostly Kyungsoo, but I did help some."

Chanyeol stopped walking, tugging Baekhyun back into him for a tight hug. "Thank you," he repeated, whispering just behind Baekhyun's ear, his breath tickling and making Baekhyun shiver. Chanyeol inhaled deeply for courage before he continued. "I love you, Baekhyun."


	29. 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, okay, okay. Here it is! I'm sorry it's not much. I've been working on it for about two weeks now and I just couldn't get the rest of what I wanted for this chapter to flow. I'm sorry for the long wait as well. I was participating in a BTS Kink Bingo where I had to produce 1500 words a week and I just couldn't handle both the bingo and this. It was a much needed break for me though. I feel like my writing improved a lot over the six weeks of the bingo, and I also I managed to take some time and plan out the remainder of this story. Yes, there is a plan and I do know where this is going now. Anyway, I've kept you long enough. Please enjoy some tooth-rotting fluff as an apology for being away for so long.

_ “I love you, Baekhyun.” _

Chanyeol couldn’t help it. The love he felt for Baekhyun fizzed up and bubbled over until Chanyeol’s heart could no longer contain it. Relief washed over him as the words tumbled over his tongue and spilled past his lips, and never in his life had he felt more certain of anything… Until about half a second later when Baekhyun stiffened in his arms and suddenly the relief and certainty vanished, immediately replaced with insecurity and doubt.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t keep it in any longer. I’m so sorry I made things weird, but you don’t have to say it back, Baek. In fact, I take it ba-” Chanyeol abruptly ended his hasty backtracking as Baekhyun pulled away from their awkward middle-of-a-busy-city-sidewalk hug with a gasp.

“Did you mean it or not?” Baekhyun’s voice wavered as he spoke, and Chanyeol met his eyes to find them wet, tears just barely clinging to the edge of his eyelashes.

“Of course I meant it, Baek. I love you, I do.” Baekhyun blinked at him and the tears finally overflowed to run down his cheeks.

“Then why would you take it back?”

“I thought you didn’t want me to say it, that you weren’t ready or maybe never would be. I didn’t want to push you away.”

“Chanyeol, if that’s how you really feel then don’t ever take it back!” He moved forward to bury his face in the front of Chanyeol’s coat, wiping the tears from his eyes before they froze his eyelids together. “Besides,” he continued after a tiny sniffle, “I love you too, you giant dork. Now take me home. I’m freezing.”

Chanyeol couldn’t prevent the wide grin that spread across his face as they walked the rest of the way home, Baekhyun tucked awkwardly into his side for warmth.

 

After a few blissful weeks of work and rehearsals punctuated with soft cuddling, blistering kisses, and passionate evenings spent in bed (and on the couch, in the shower, and even once against the kitchen counter) Chanyeol decided the two of them needed a getaway. Christmas was approaching, and Minseok had promised them a few nights of vacation time as long as they didn’t take it on the holidays.

Chanyeol took the liberty of discussing their vacation with Minseok and making arrangements for a stay at a cabin outside the city. He wanted to surprise Baekhyun so when the first morning of their vacation arrived Chanyeol quietly slipped out of bed and packed their bags.

He was just zipping Baekhyun’s suitcase when the singer wandered into the living room dressed in nothing but his boxers, his hair sticking up in every direction, and adorably rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Chanyeol smiled at him fondly as he yawned and ruffled his hair, causing it to look even more wild than before.

“Yeollie, what are you doing?” he grumbled, his voice thick and gravelly from sleep.

“Packing,” Chanyeol answered as he stuffed folded shirts and boxers into his own suitcase.

“I can see that, but why?” Chanyeol only chuckled in response and dropped his socks into the suitcase. “Are you going somewhere?”

“Yes.” He zipped the suitcase and carried them both to the doorway.

“Chanyeol, what is with the cryptic one-word answers? What the hell is going on?” The way Baekhyun crossed his arms and cocked his hip told Chanyeol his patience had run thin and Chanyeol finally gave in.

“ _ We _ are going somewhere,” he said as he approached Baekhyun and pulled him into a hug despite his arms still being folded between them.

“What are you talking about? You have work tonight.”

“We are on vacation starting today,” Chanyeol informed him and watched as Baekhyun’s expression flickered from confusion to excitement to frustration. “Don’t worry, I made all the arrangements, and Minseok even offered to let us borrow his car.”

“But... where are we going?”

Chanyeol leaned down to kiss Baekhyun, mouthing his way along his jawline toward his ear before whispering, “It’s a surprise.” He stumbled backward and into the couch as Baekhyun pushed him away, glaring at him, but there was something playful sparkling in his eyes and Chanyeol knew he wasn’t really upset. “So how about we go take a shower and get dressed so we can get on the road?”

“I think that’s a great way to start our vacation,” Baekhyun agreed, turning and teasingly wiggling his ass to slide his boxers down his thighs. Chanyeol growled as he watched Baekhyun step out of them, swaying his hips exaggeratedly as he walked away. He paused at the end of the hallway to look over his shoulder.

“Aren’t you coming Yeollie?” he taunted, and Chanyeol stumbled up off of the couch to follow, stripping as he went.

 

Minseok’s car was nice, and the drive didn’t even seem all that long thanks to the comfortable conversation and Chanyeol’s road trip playlist piping music throughout the vehicle. Baekhyun relaxed more and more the farther they drove, until he finally dozed off about half an hour away from the cabin.

When Chanyeol parked in the driveway he couldn’t help but sit and watch Baekhyun sleep for a few minutes. He looked angelic with his hair all fluffy and lips slightly parted, and every now and then his nose would twitch and crinkle. Chanyeol reached out to run a finger along Baekhyun’s jaw, smiling when Baekhyun’s eyes fluttered open and leaning in to kiss him on the nose.

“Are we here?” Baekhyun stretched, arching his back away from the seat. “Wow…” he gasped as he looked around. “This is so beautiful!”

Everything around them was completely covered in snow from the trees to the ground to the roof of the tiny cabin. As they made their way to the door Baekhyun shivered and his teeth chattered, but he still stopped to look at his footprints in the fresh, white powder, fascinated by the clear imprint of the bottom of his shoe. Chanyeol chuckled from behind him as he carried their luggage.

“You better get inside before you turn into a Baekcicle.” Baekhyun turned to stick out his tongue but thought better of it and continued up onto the front porch of the cabin.

The inside of the cabin was best described as cosy, with a large, plush sofa facing the fireplace and a breakfast table and two chairs beside a bay window overlooking a frozen pond. The kitchen was small but well stocked, in the bathroom was the largest tub Baekhyun had ever seen, and the best part was the little nook off the back of the building with windows on three sides containing a large mattress on a raised platform.

“How long can we stay?” Baekhyun wondered as he flopped onto the sofa and propped his feet on the armrest.

“We don’t have to be back at work until Saturday night.”

“Four whole days?” Baekhyun squealed and hopped to his feet to throw his arms around Chanyeol’s neck. “This is amazing!”

“So,” Chanyeol said softly, nudging Baekhyun’s chin with his nose, “what do you want to do first?”

Baekhyun began to back away, wrapping his fingers around Chanyeol’s wrist and dragging him along with him toward the bed. Chanyeol watched him crawl onto the bed, burrowing into the pillows and under the quilt until he was settled comfortably.

“C’mere,” he beckoned cutely, patting the space beside him until Chanyeol moved to join him, pressing his body up against Baekhyun’s and wrapping an arm around his waist.

“You’re tired?” Chanyeol’s voice was muffled in Baekhyun’s soft, fluffy hair, and the strands tickled his cheeks and nose as Baekhyun shook his head. He breathed in the scent of his shampoo, something fruity and floral mixed that would have smelled feminine on anyone else, but it suited Baekhyun.

“No, I just wanted to watch the snow fall with you.” Chanyeol tugged the belt loops on Baekhyun’s jeans to pull his hips even closer, and they laid there in bed together for a long time, just enjoying each others’ company and the view.

The sun was beginning to set when Chanyeol finally broke their silence. “Dinner,” he murmured against Baekhyun’s neck, and Baekhyun hummed in agreement, pushing the quilt off of them so they could get up.

 

Baekhyun watched from a safe distance (in the breakfast area by the window) as Chanyeol moved quietly around the kitchen. It was charming how graceful Chanyeol was when he prepared food. He carefully chopped vegetables with the same capable hands that he used to play his guitar and keyboard, and Baekhyun was completely mesmerized. He sat with his elbows on the table and his chin resting in his palms as he enjoyed the view, even more than he had the snow earlier.

It wasn’t long before Chanyeol brought a pair of plates over to the table, piled high with steamy rice covered with vegetables and tofu.

“What?” Chanyeol questioned self consciously when he noticed Baekhyun staring. Instead of answering, Baekhyun stood from his chair and took the plates from Chanyeol, carefully setting them on the table. He turned back to Chanyeol and wound his arms around him, pressing his face into the giant’s chest as he hugged him tightly.

“I was just thinking of how handsome you are,” Baekhyun said quietly, “and how much I love you.”

“Yeah, babe? Mmm, I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, apparently I had more to say. If anyone is interested, if you're into BTS and mindless smut, please check out my other stories. I'm actually really proud of the work I did for the bingo and I would love some feedback on it. Thank you for your patience, I love you all!


	30. 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was supposed to have been posted almost a month ago, but I got halfway through and stalled. I'm really sorry for making everyone wait.  
> This chapter is a (very late) birthday gift for one of my biggest supporters, my lovely, my twin, Miss TJ (takujaepls). Thank you for being so wonderful and patient and wonderful. (P.S. Check her out, she is an awesome author!)  
> I also want to thank Vini for making sure this isn't as stupid as it sounded in my head. You're amazing hunny!  
> One last thing before I let you go. This chapter is rated M, so if that's not your thing you may want to skip the second half of the chapter.

The first morning waking up in the cabin there was a glorious sunrise. The eastern facing windows in the main area of the cabin collected the light and created a soft, orange glow in the room. Chanyeol’s hair had grown long, more than just one side of his fringe now falling over his eyes, and Baekhyun lovingly brushed it off of his forehead to plant a soft kiss just above his eyebrow. Strong arms pulled Baekhyun closer and he tucked his head under Chanyeol’s chin, his cheek resting against Chanyeol’s firm chest.

“I want to build a snowman,” Baekhyun murmured.

“Like Anna?” Chanyeol’s sleepy voice rumbled through Baekhyun’s head and he nodded. “You’ll freeze.”

“Not if you help me. It will go faster, and if I get cold you can just hold me until I’m warm again.”

Chanyeol huffed a laugh through his nose, his breath ruffling Baekhyun’s hair, and agreed, promising hot chocolate by the fire after.

 

An hour later, after a quick breakfast and a significant effort to cover every inch of Baekhyun’s skin with protective clothing, Chanyeol followed Baekhyun out into the snow.

Baekhyun giggled as he formed the snow into a tight ball with mittened hands. He rolled the ball around, collecting snow until it stood as high as his knees as Chanyeol worked on the middle section. They came together to round out the head and placed it on top of the body before searching for rocks and sticks to make the face and arms.

One tiny little snowball hitting the back of Chanyeol’s shoulder devolved into an all out war, both of them exchanging fire as fast as they could pack the snow together and chasing each other round and round their snowman until they were both laughing and out of breath. Baekhyun flopped into a clean section of snow and began sweeping his arms and legs back and forth to create a snow angel.

“You do one too, Yeollie,” he called, and Chanyeol sauntered over to lay down beside Baekhyun, close enough for their gloves to almost touch as they flapped their arms to make wing impressions in the snow.

Baekhyun sat up, pouting when he realized there was no way to push himself to his feet without marring his perfectly shaped angel with foot and handprints. He frowned, looking around himself for the best place to plant his feet to cause the least damage when a large gloved hand waved in front of his face. Standing with his boots toed up against Baekhyun’s heels, Chanyeol pulled the overgrown child up, leaving his angel in pristine condition. Baekhyun grinned up at his giant, silently thanking him with crinkled eyes and a mouthful of blinding white teeth, but when he turned his gaze to Chanyeol’s angel his smile fell.

“What about yours? Can we fix it?”

Chanyeol looked confused, but then he noticed the clown shoe sized bootprints in the center of his angel. He shook his head and hummed, “Nah, it doesn’t matter. Besides, you’re the real angel here.” Baekhyun’s face, already pink from the cold, darkened slightly and he looked down at his feet. He shivered and curled in on himself as a strong gust of wind penetrated the back of his scarf sending icy fingers tickling down his spine until Chanyeol pulled him against his side. “I think you’ve played Frozen long enough. Time to get you back inside where it’s warm.”

 

By the time they had peeled layer after layer of clothing off of Baekhyun, he was even colder than he’d been outside. The wind was gone and the air was warm, but he was wet to the bone, his jeans and sweatpants as well as multiple pairs of thick socks soggy with melted snow. Chanyeol had promised hot chocolate, but Baekhyun thought a nice hot bath was in order to thaw him out first. He drizzled a capful of vanilla and sandalwood bubble bath into the tub as it filled with steaming water.

Chanyeol had stayed in the other room to lay out their clothes and boots near the fire so they would dry faster, and Baekhyun was just leaning over the tub to test the water temperature when Chanyeol snuck in behind him, slipping long arms around Baekhyun’s slender waist and pressing his face into his neck. Baekhyun yelped and jumped, and he probably would have taken a dive into the tub if Chanyeol hadn’t been holding him so tightly.

“Jeez, Chanyeol, you giant puppy! Your nose is so cold it’s giving me goosebumps!” Chanyeol only huffed against his skin at the puppy comment and burrowed his nose deeper, his lips softly brushing the back of Baekhyun’s shoulder.

“Is it ready?”

Baekhyun nodded and pushed his boxers down, grabbing Chanyeol’s hand for stability as he climbed over the edge and sank comfortably into the enormous bathtub. Chanyeol joined him and slid down behind Baekhyun, pulling him close to wrap his lanky limbs around him. 

A sigh echoed off the tiled walls as Baekhyun relaxed, leaning his head back on Chanyeol’s shoulder. He was finally regaining feeling in his fingers and toes, and despite Chanyeol’s lean body Baekhyun had found that he actually made a decent cushion. Their bodies fit together in such a way that Chanyeol’s bony hips were wide enough to accommodate Baekhyun’s plump ass without prodding him uncomfortably.

That’s not to say that  _ nothing  _ was prodding at him, because the more Baekhyun wiggled, the more he could feel Chanyeol’s cock rising to fit between his cheeks. Baekhyun rocked against Chanyeol, moaning quietly when the crown grazed his rim.

“I doubt you want to do this in the tub, babe.” Baekhyun groaned as he reluctantly stilled his hips.

“I don’t know about you,” he said, turning in Chanyeol’s hold to flutter his eyelashes at him cutely, “but I’m all warmed up now.”

Chanyeol nodded slowly and leaned in to meet Baekhyun’s lips with his own. Wet hands worked their way into Chanyeol’s hair, holding him close as Baekhyun parted his lips for Chanyeol’s tongue to enter. The kiss wasn’t hurried. They had time, plenty of it. They allowed their hands and mouths to explore each other as if it was their first time.

Baekhyun found himself wrapped in a warm towel, Chanyeol lifting him out of the water and drying him off with soft hands and a gentle touch before carrying him out and carefully laying him on the bed.

How many times they had danced this dance over the past months, Chanyeol slipping slick fingers between Baekhyun’s legs, methodically working him open, stretching and searching until those fingers finally brushed against something that made Baekhyun’s body arch and his voice jump an octave. It never grew old or boring; Baekhyun never tired of the way Chanyeol treated him like the most important, special, fragile thing he’d ever touched.

They swapped positions and Baekhyun attached his lips to Chanyeol’s neck and shoulders, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. His thighs trembled as he lowered himself, tight muscles relaxing, accepting the intrusion until he bottomed out. Baekhyun’s forehead dropped to Chanyeol’s chest and Chanyeol heaved heavy breaths, ruffling the dark hair that brushed against his chin. Chanyeol’s cock twitched involuntarily when he felt teeth scrape along his collarbone and Baekhyun groaned.

Raising up onto his knees he lifted his hips and sank back down, sighing at the way Chanyeol’s length dragged against his walls and filled him up. Soft noises filled the cabin as Chanyeol’s hands gripped Baekhyun’s ass, guiding him as they rocked their hips together.

Chanyeol rolled them over when the strength Baekhyun’s legs started to give out, and began thrusting into him harder, deeper. Baekhyun’s feet crossed at his ankles around Chanyeol’s back as he arched into every movement. It wasn’t the frantic pace of horny teenagers seeking release, but rather the relaxed rhythm of two people in love showing each other the depth of their connection, and it was beautiful and perfect and for a moment Baekhyun thought he might cry from the overwhelming emotion of it all. It wasn’t something he’d ever known with any other lover. This was unique to Chanyeol.

They came together, Chanyeol holding Baekhyun as he fell apart, their lips touching and breathing each other’s air. Chanyeol’s hips stuttered and stopped as white spilled across Baekhyun’s tummy. It was several minutes before they could breathe normally again, and Chanyeol finally untangled himself from Baekhyun’s hold to reach for the towel he’d dropped on the floor, but when he returned he changed his mind. He dipped his head to lap at the cooling cum on Baekhyun’s stomach, licking up every drop as Baekhyun watched with sleepy eyes.

“Nap,” Baekhyun murmured, pulling Chanyeol up beside him when he was clean and nuzzling into his chest. Chanyeol just hummed and held him tight as he pulled the covers over them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's short, I'm sorry for that. I've got another project in progress right now that started out small and snowballed into something huge and amazing and I'm so proud of it so please look forward to it in the near future. I do have the next chapter so I promise as soon as I get the chance to finish there's some angst heading your way.


	31. 31

New Year’s Eve at the club was like nothing Baekhyun had ever experienced before. The crowd was unbelievably huge. Minseok had hired a bouncer to prevent exceeding maximum capacity, and even early on they had to turn people away or make them wait in a long line outside the door that stretched nearly to the end of the block. Baekhyun felt a little claustrophobic seeing the horde of patrons standing at the bar and in front of the stage, cramming around the tables, and blocking the employee locker room with their line for the restrooms, and between the stage lights and massive amount of bodies packed into the space, the temperature was significantly higher than normal.

“You gonna be okay?” Jongdae asked when he noticed Baekhyun sweating and panting.

“What? Yeah,” he shook his head and waved Jongdae off. “Just a lot of people is all.”

He didn’t feel much better once he was on stage. All he saw in front of him was a sea of bodies, but at least he was high enough to see over them from the stage. It also helped when they started performing, and he had something more important to concentrate on.

Baekhyun managed to pick out Kyungsoo sitting at one of the tables nearest the back, drinking heavily and well on his way to plastered. He was singing along (or at least mouthing the words) as he watched Jongin moving to the music while pouring shots and mixing drinks. Minseok was also behind the bar, and Baekhyun thought he saw Jongdae weaving through the crowd to deliver a tray of drinks to one of the tables up front.

Their set was longer tonight. They had breaks every so often, like always, but instead of sitting with their friends, they spent them hanging out in Minseok’s office, gulping down cold water and taking turns in front of a fan. Yixing seemed more pumped than usual, thriving on the noise and the cheering. After their third break Chanyeol had suggested they play straight through midnight before letting the DJ take over, so they climbed back on stage for the fourth time and started playing.

Sometime around 11:00 Baekhyun lost track of his friends. He could no longer see the bar, Kyungsoo had abandoned his table, and though he suspected Jongdae was somewhere among the people dancing in front of the stage, the guy was short enough that he didn’t exactly stand out, much like Baekhyun himself.

As he scanned the club in search of Kyungsoo, his eyes found a familiar mop of blonde hair standing at least a head above nearly everyone else. It was only the back of his head, but Baekhyun’s heart began to race as he waited for the man to turn around to face him. The microphone dropped away from his mouth, his hand falling to his side and fingers relaxing their grip as he stopped trying to sing all together.  _ Thump! _

 

Chanyeol’s head snapped up when he heard the microphone hit the stage and he lunged forward just in time to catch Baekhyun under his arms before he collapsed. It was like a repeat of their first song together, only this time there were hundreds of spectators. It was hot and loud, despite the music having abruptly halted, and Chanyeol was scared.

“Minseok!” he yelled as he tried to gently lower Baekhyun to the ground, a task made even more difficult by his guitar being pinned between them. “Minseok-hyung!” He looked up to see Minseok hurrying toward the stage, forcing his way through the crowd by elbowing anyone who didn’t move out of the way on their own. “Hyung, I don’t know what’s wrong.”

Chanyeol was beginning to panic. It was hard to breathe and he wanted to cry, but he tried to hold it together at least until they could determine what had happened.

“Jongdae!” Minseok shook Chanyeol’s shoulders to get him to focus. “Jongdae and Yixing are going to take him to my office and put him in front of the fan. He probably just overheated.” Chanyeol nodded and allowed Yixing to lift Baekhyun to carry him off the stage while Minseok made a path for them to get to the office.

Chanyeol’s eyes swept over the crowd again, looking to see if Kyungsoo was still around before he found himself with an armful of his friend as he stumbled up onto the stage and right into Chanyeol.

“It’s Kris,” Kyungsoo slurred at Chanyeol, obviously drunk and incredibly upset. “It’s Kris, he’s here!”

“Soo, I don’t understand.” Chanyeol gripped Kyungsoo’s elbow to keep him upright as he tried to get him to explain. “Who is Kris?”

“Baek’s ex!” he yelled to be heard over the track the DJ had just started.

“Where? Where is he? Show me!”

Kyungsoo swung around toward the bar, but Kris was no longer there. “He’s… he’s tall… blonde. You can’t miss him, just look for tall and blonde,” he said as Chanyeol began searching as well. His eyes roved over the packed club looking for someone tall and blonde before his breath caught in his throat and he choked on nothing.

About ten feet away to the left of the stage stood a man almost Chanyeol’s height. His hair was dyed a golden shade with dark roots showing through his part. Chanyeol’s attention wasn’t on Kris but rather on the young man standing slightly behind him and to the side.

His hair had been bleached nearly platinum and was greasy and slicked back, and he was much thinner and more pale than the last time Chanyeol had seen him, but Sehun was unmistakeable. He looked like a shadow of himself, a shell, and when Chanyeol’s attention finally slipped to the side to study the man who must’ve been Baekhyun’s ex he finally noticed the puffy pink lips, the mouth too small for his face. It was the same man Chanyeol had seen the day that Sehun had broken off their… arrangement.

“We have to get him away from Kris.” Chanyeol’s voice was nearly a growl and if Kyungsoo hadn’t heard him speak that way before he might have been frightened.

“I’ll go tell Minseok and take Baekhyun home with me.” Kyungsoo started to move toward Minseok’s office before Chanyeol grabbed his shoulder to spin him around again.

“Not Baek, Sehun.”

“You can’t be serious.” Kyungsoo’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“He’s dangerous Kyungie. He’s going to hurt Sehun.” Kyungsoo shook Chanyeol off, glaring at him.

“No, Chanyeol! We can have this discussion later. Right now you need to come with me and get Baekhyun home. He’s your priority, not Sehun.”

“Baekhyun is safe! He has you. He has Jongdae and Minseok and-”

“You! The only person he cares about is  _ you _ , Chanyeol.  _ You  _ have to help him.”

“I… Urrrgh!” Chanyeol really did growl this time, hands coming up to his hair to tug at it like he always did when he was stressed out and confused. He looked back over at Sehun who was following behind Kris as they moved slowly among the people, eyes glued to the floor. “He’s suffering, Soo. Baek got away, but I don’t know if Sehun can. Look at him!” Chanyeol had to stop himself from pointing at the couple, not wanting to give Kris a reason to drag Sehun away before Chanyeol could get to him. “He’s a zombie. He probably hasn’t made a decision for himself in months.”

Kyungsoo shook his head, seemingly to clear his mind. He watched Chanyeol carefully as he struggled with his indecision and as he finally made his choice, muttering an apology as he stalked away to rescue Sehun. Chanyeol could hear him groan loudly, yelling after him, “You’ll regret this!” but he couldn’t turn back.

Kyungsoo was probably right about everything. Baekhyun probably wanted Chanyeol by his side, he probably would be upset that Chanyeol was chasing after their exes instead, and Chanyeol would probably regret choosing Sehun over Baekhyun just this once. The problem was, he was afraid he would regret not helping Sehun more. They may not have ended on the best of terms, but Chanyeol was Chanyeol. He couldn’t just let someone suffer, no matter how much pain that someone had put him through.

He closed in on Sehun and Kris, quickly weaving through the crowd until he could see Kris’s hand clutching Sehun’s wrist, dragging him none too gently toward the exit. He grabbed for Sehun’s other wrist just as Kris jerked him forward, causing him to trip over someone else’s foot and stumble. Chanyeol caught him. He pulled Sehun back by his hand and steadied him on his feet as best he could with Kris still trying to yank him by his other hand.

“Are you alright?” he asked, loudly, yelling to be heard over the hundreds of people surrounding them.

“He’s fine,” Kris snarled at him, finally stopping long enough to determine why the hell Sehun was resisting.

“Chanyeol?” Sehun looked up at him, his eyes slightly unfocused. He’d had too much to drink, Chanyeol was sure. “What are you doing here?” he asked, and yeah, his words were slurred to the point of near incoherence.

“I…” he wanted to remind him that he worked here, that this is where they had met to begin with. He wanted to ask him if he remembered anything at all from before Kris besides their names, but all those things felt insignificant by comparison. He needed to say something that would convince Sehun to stay with him. He needed to keep him from going home with Kris, and he needed to do it fast, before Kris got too jealous and impatient and tried to beat the shit out of one of them.

Kris’s hand fell heavily on Sehun’s shoulder, Sehun nearly crumpling under the weight. He squeezed and pushed a thumb against the back of Sehun’s shoulder to turn him around. “Let’s go, Hunnie,” he purred into Sehun’s ear, a sharp contrast between his voice and his physical actions.

“Let’s let Sehun decide whether he stays or goes,” Chanyeol said as he attempted to pull Sehun away again his fingers tightening their grip around Sehun’s wrist and tugging him back.

“He’s coming with me!” Kris clenched his fist, holding himself back even though he obviously wanted to punch Chanyeol’s lights out.

“No!” The crowd around them quieted and parted for Kyungsoo to make his way through. “No one is going anywhere with you, Kris. You are a horrible human being. You nearly ruined my friend’s life and this child here,” he reached for Sehun’s elbow and gently maneuvered him closer until he was standing behind both Kyungsoo and Chanyeol, a protective human wall quickly forming around him as Jongdae and Minseok joined them, “is a friend of the man I love. You will not hurt him anymore.”

Chanyeol could practically hear the silent debate in Kris’s head as he decided whether Sehun was worth taking on four strangers. After a few moments he apparently decided he wasn’t and turned to leave with a loud huff.

“Let’s get him to the office,” Minseok said, taking charge again. Chanyeol gently guided Sehun with a hand on the small of his back, but he stopped short when they reached the office doorway.

Baekhyun had regained consciousness and was standing, albeit a bit wobbly. His facial expression flickered from relief to confusion to hurt and finally settled on anger.

“Yixing, take me home,” he said quietly. Yixing hesitated, or maybe he just took a bit too long to process Baekhyun’s request. “Take. Me. Home.” Baekhyun forced through clenched teeth.

“I’ll take you,” Chanyeol offered, dropping his hand from Sehun’s back and extending it toward Baekhyun, but Baekhyun flinched away.

“No! Yixing will take me… to Kyungsoo’s.”


	32. 32

Baekhyun felt a sense of deja vu as he woke up in the guest room of Kyungsoo’s apartment. Yixing had escorted him there from the club and then gone to get some of his things from Chanyeol’s apartment. He didn’t get everything, claiming Baekhyun would come to his senses soon enough and go back to Chanyeol. Baekhyun had screamed at him to shut the hell up and kicked him out of the room only to flop onto the bed, sobbing. He had cried himself to sleep in the cold, empty bed.

He couldn’t believe Chanyeol would do something so insensitive. Chanyeol was the greatest blessing in Baekhyun’s life lately. He was the reason Baekhyun had a job, his first job ever. He was the first person to ever make Baekhyun feel truly loved. Baekhyun never felt cold when he was with Chanyeol who radiated sunshine and warmth and reminded Baekhyun that his life wasn’t all about his past and his ex and his lack of education.

Baekhyun’s eyes were puffy and sore from tears. His throat ached, his head was pounding, and more than anything his mind was tired. He had tried rationalising what he’d witnessed the night before. He replayed the scene in his head thousands of times... Chanyeol leading another man toward the office, toward Baekhyun, his hand placed inappropriately at the small the other man’s back.

Yixing had told Baekhyun on the walk home that the other man was Sehun but had lost focus in the middle of his explanation. Baekhyun hadn’t wanted to hear any excuses so he hadn’t asked any questions. All he knew was that Sehun was Chanyeol’s ex, one of the ones who had hurt him and made him so insecure that he panicked any time he had to be away from Baekhyun for more than a few minutes, and Chanyeol had apparently been looking after him when he should have been looking after Baekhyun.

Someone knocked on the bedroom door. Baekhyun ignored it, rolling over to face the wall in case the person entered anyway. Sure enough, he heard the door open and close and felt the bed dip under someone’s weight behind him.

“Hey.” Jongin’s voice was soft and not at all who Baekhyun was expecting. His hand fell on Baekhyun’s shoulder, squeezing gently. It was warm and soothing in a way that Kyungsoo couldn’t possibly have managed. “There’s breakfast if you’re hungry, and I’d be happy to bring some to you if you don’t want to come out just yet.”

Baekhyun sniffled a bit, his nose both stuffy and running from all the crying. “No thanks, Jongin. My stomach kinda hurts.”

“Okay. If you change your mind you can text me. You don’t even have to leave the room. Kyungsoo is going to work in a bit, but I’ll be around all day.”

Baekhyun rolled over to face Jongin. He was easy to talk to. He seemed so sensitive and understanding. Baekhyun could totally understand how Kyungsoo had fallen for the kid.

“Thank you, Jongin. I appreciate it.” Jongin’s face lit up like a sunrise, a kind smile curving his lips and crinkling the corners of his eyes. He ruffled Baekhyun’s hair as he stood from the bed.

“I’ll be watching television if you need anything.”

“Wait,” Baekhyun called out just as the door was about to close again. Jongin, pushed the door open enough to lean in, his eyebrows raised in a silent question. “Can… can you stay for a minute?” The smile appeared again, and Jongin settled himself on the corner of the bed at Baekhyun’s feet.

“Did you want to talk or just need some company? I can just sit here quietly if that’s what you want.”

“You know him, right?”

Jongin tilted his head sideways. “You mean Chanyeol?”

“No, Sehun.”

“Oh. Yeah,” Jongin said, settling in on the bed a bit more. “I grew up with him. He’s… we’ve been out of contact for awhile, but we were close up until…” He trailed off, but Baekhyun knew what he was talking about.

“Until he left Chanyeol.” Jongin nodded. “H-how long were they together?”

“I wouldn’t really say they were together exactly. They hung out, but not like a relationship or anything.”

“Chanyeol said he found someone who fucked him better.”

“Chanyeol did?”

“No, Sehun.”

“Oh, yeah. That would be Kris.” Baekhyun felt his blood run cold at the name.

“Sehun is with Kris?”

“Up until last night. Actually, it’s the first time I’ve seen Sehun in months. He looks bad, Baek. He looks… bad. There’s no other way to describe it.” Jongin sighed and laid down on the bed beside Baekhyun, staring up at the ceiling. “Sehun has always been this, like, mysterious guy. His face is hard to read because he has this blank expression all the time, and he’s really quiet until he gets to know you. I mean, once he warms up to you he’s fun and silly and just so loveable.” Jongin glanced over at Baekhyun. “I’m sorry. You probably don’t want to hear any of this.”

“No, it’s fine,” Baekhyun assured him. “The way you describe him, I can see why Chanyeol liked him. He sounds… nice.” It was the only word Baekhyun could think of that he didn’t think would come out with a grimace. He was curious and wanted Jongin to continue, and he wouldn’t do that if Baekhyun looked like he was in pain.

“Chanyeol was good to Sehun. You know how Chanyeol is.”

“He’s good to everyone,” Baekhyun nodded.

“Yeah, but Sehun really needed it. He was in a bad relationship before. He needed someone who would show him how he should be treated. It wasn’t Chanyeol’s fault Sehun wasn’t receptive. Sehun was--is young. He’s a bit… foolish.”

“But if he’s with Kris, then he’s in a bad relationship again. You can’t let him stay with that monster.”

“No, it’s okay. Chanyeol and Soo pretty much told Kris to fuck off last night. I don’t think he’ll bother Sehun anymore.”  _ Or me _ , Baekhyun hoped. “The thing is, and I hate to bring this up because I know you’re hurting, but Sehun doesn’t have anywhere to go right now. I think he stayed with Yixing last night, but he only has the one bedroom. I was wondering if it would be okay with you if Sehun stays here? Soo said he’d clean out the music room if it’s okay with you.”

Maybe it was because of Kris or maybe Chanyeol was rubbing off on him, Baekhyun wasn’t sure, but he agreed without pause. “Yeah, I mean, he’s your best friend, right? He needs somewhere to stay, you provide. It’s what you do. It’s what Soo does for me.”

“Really? You’re sure it won’t be a problem?” Jongin looked elated and relieved, and okay, maybe that was why Baekhyun had agreed. He liked seeing Jongin happy. His pretty brown eyes crinkled into crescent moons when he smiled, and Baekhyun doubted anyone could resist it.

“Nah. If he’s as great as you say he is, I’m sure I’ll love him too. Besides, he might need someone to talk to about Kris, and no one else knows what it’s like to be with that asshole.”

 

As promised, Jongin stayed home all day, and despite Baekhyun’s loud personality, it was kind of comforting to have Jongin around. He was calm and quiet when Baekhyun needed him to be, and he was great at just listening to Baekhyun as he voiced his thoughts aloud.

Yixing showed up sometime in the afternoon with Sehun, and Baekhyun pulled him aside to ask a favor.

“I need you to give this to Minseok,” he said, handing Yixing an envelope. “You and Chanyeol can handle things at the club for a while, right?”

“Mmm, you thinking of taking some time off?”

“Singing with Chanyeol is more a part of our relationship than a job. I just don’t think I can handle it right now.” Baekhyun explained. Yixing nodded, and in an odd moment of extreme focus, he took Baekhyun’s hands in his and looked into Baekhyun’s eyes.

“I know it seems like everything is going to shit right now, but Chanyeol… he loves you. He was just trying to do the right thing. Chanyeol knew that if he went after Sehun he’d be letting you down, but Chanyeol isn’t the kind of person who could let anyone suffer, especially after Kyungsoo told him about Kris.” Baekhyun shook his head. He knew all of this and didn’t need Yixing explaining it to him, but Yixing wasn’t going to let it go until he finished saying what was on his mind. He placed his hands on Baekhyun’s cheeks, forcing him to look into his eyes as he spoke. “Take your time recovering from this little shock, but don’t go too long without contacting Chanyeol. You love each other, and this doesn’t change either of your feelings. Don’t let this one thing come between you.”

Baekhyun nodded, and Yixing kissed his forehead before releasing him and waving goodbye to Jongin and Sehun.

 

At first Baekhyun couldn’t find any of the lovely qualities Jongin had mentioned in Sehun. He wasn’t fun or silly or loveable. He was just a shell of a person, really… a zombie.

The first few days Baekhyun only saw Sehun and Jongin at meals, when Kyungsoo insisted they all eat together because both Baekhyun and Sehun needed the company. Baekhyun felt a bit like he was living with his parents again. Jongin and Kyungsoo conversed with each other like he and Sehun didn’t exist until they seemed to suddenly realise they weren’t alone and made half-hearted attempts to include their guests.

Baekhyun did at least make an effort to talk to Sehun at the table. He placed a hand on Sehun’s shoulder the first night at dinner and murmured a soft, “Hey,” but Sehun just flinched away and asked to be excused.

It was almost a full week before Jongin and Kyungsoo felt comfortable leaving them alone in the apartment. Again, like parents, they were hesitant, but they needed a bit of time to themselves.

“Remember to call me if you need  _ anything _ ,” Kyungsoo reminded Baekhyun who rolled his eyes.

“I’m not an infant, Soo. I can handle a few hours alone.”

Kyungsoo glanced over his shoulder at Jongin and tugged at Baekhyun’s sleeve to pull him into the hallway. “I know you’ll be okay. I’m worried about Sehun. Just… don’t leave him alone for too long. Check up on him if he tries to hide out in his room all night and make sure he eats.”

“You know he’s not a baby either.” Kyungsoo gave him a pleading look, and Baekhyun gave in. “Alright, alright. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

As soon as the door closed behind Kyungsoo and Jongin, Sehun turned toward the bedrooms. “Sehun, wait.” Baekhyun reached his hand out to Sehun but didn’t touch him. Sehun stopped anyway. “I’m ordering pizza. Is there something you’d like on yours?” He mentally facepalmed. It wasn’t what he’d meant to say. He’d been hoping he could find some way to get Sehun to open up to him.

“Whatever is fine. I’ll be in my room.” Sehun disappeared behind the door and Baekhyun heard the lock click.

Baekhyun tried again when Sehun emerged from the bedroom to eat.

“So it seems we have a lot in common.” Sehun grunted at him through a mouthful of pizza. “Well, we have the same taste in men at least.”

“If you mean bad, then yes.”

Baekhyun giggled, and it seemed to break the ice between them. Sehun wasn’t interested in talking about Kris, but Chanyeol was another story.

“He was really good to me,” Sehun mumbled, “I should never have treated him like that.” Baekhyun hummed, encouraging Sehun to continue. “I’m a shitty boyfriend and a shitty person.”

“That’s not true,” Baekhyun insisted. “First, it’s not entirely your fault. You didn’t feel the same for Chanyeol as he did for you, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. I’ll agree that you could have handled the whole situation better, but you can’t force yourself to have feelings for someone.

“And second, the important thing is that you realise your actions were wrong. If you got the chance to apologise to Chanyeol, would you?” Sehun nodded. “Then you’ve learned from your mistakes. You’ve grown.”

Sehun slumped sideways into Baekhyun’s shoulder, an awkward position given Sehun’s height. He sighed loudly as Baekhyun brought an arm around him.

“Sehun, you’re a good kid-”

“‘M not a kid, hyung.” Baekhyun laughed, wondering how he managed to get Sehun to warm up to him so quickly. No one ever called him hyung, not even Jongin.

“You aren’t. I’m sorry. You’re a good guy, Sehun.”

“How do I fix this?”

“You can’t rewind; you can only move forward. You’ll have to tell Chanyeol you’re sorry and thank him, and while you’re at it you should thank all the guys. Everyone stuck their necks out for you that night at the club. Then you should just… try to be a better person.”

Sehun looked up at Baekhyun with a deep frown etched on his face. “I can never be as good as Chanyeol.”

Baekhyun dissolved into a fit of laughter. It took several minutes of scowling from Sehun for him to calm down. “Oh, Sehun, you are so funny.  _ No one _ can ever be as good as Chanyeol. He’s like an angel or something. All you can ever hope to be is a better version of yourself.”

“Baek?”

“Really? Already skipping straight from hyung to nicknames?” Sehun mumbled an apology, but Baekhyun wasn’t having it. “It’s okay, Hunnie. You can call me whatever you want.”

“Okay, Baek-hyung.”

“What did you want to say?”

Sehun nibbled his bottom lip nervously, like he didn’t really want to say the words but felt he should. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that Kris cheated on you with me. I’m sorry I hurt Chanyeol and left him broken. I’m sorry I put Chanyeol in a position where he had to choose you or me. I’m sorry for everything.”

“Shhh,” Baekhyun shushed as he pet Sehun’s greasy, blonde locks out of his face. “It’s okay, Hunnie. I forgive you, and you know Chanyeol will too.”

Sehun fell asleep with his head resting on Baekhyun’s shoulder, and Jongin had to help him to bed when he and Kyungsoo arrived home. As Baekhyun settled into his own bed he thought about how much they had in common and how much progress they had both made in just one night together. He hoped Sehun felt the same, that he wouldn’t retreat back into himself in the morning. He hoped they were both going to be okay.


	33. 33

Work had never been so miserable, not when Chanyeol had been teaching those brats how to play guitar, not when Jongdae had quit and he’d nearly lost his voice from singing every night, not even when Sehun had broken up with him and every part of the club reminded him of Sehun. Chanyeol’s first night back to work after Baekhyun left was excruciating. Not only did he have to change his entire set list to work around Yixing and Jongdae (who offered to fill in, just for a bit), but standing there on stage, hearing someone else’s voice besides Baekhyun’s, felt like someone ripping his heart out of his chest and stomping all over it. It felt like something pushing against his windpipe until he couldn’t breathe and his head started to swim. It felt like all of the most painful tortures ever imagined combined in one single act, and Chanyeol was sure he wasn’t going to survive.

When their first break came and the three of them crammed into Minseok’s office, Chanyeol thought he might fall apart. He didn’t know if he could make it through the break, much less the rest of their set.

“How you holdin’ up?” Jongdae asked as he reached up to place a small, soft hand on Chanyeol’s shoulder, and Chanyeol’s brain supplied an image of Baekhyun’s beautiful hands, his long, slender fingers intertwined with Chanyeol’s own larger digits. He bit his lip to keep himself from losing his grip on reality and blinked back the tears before responding.

“I’m surviving. I’ll make it.” He wasn’t so sure it was the truth, but he didn’t want to worry his friends.

“Aww, Chanyeol… he’ll be back soon. I know it.” Yixing patted Chanyeol’s shoulder.

_ I hope you’re right _ , Chanyeol thought.  _ I hope I didn’t ruin everything. _

Back on stage, the lights were too bright. The speakers were too loud. The whole thing was just too much, and Chanyeol couldn’t wait to leave, to go home, to just be away from it all.

His mind drifted as he played, fingering the strings of his guitar from memory as he imagined Baekhyun’s voice instead of Jongdae’s. He pictured Baekhyun’s boxy smile and his loud laugh that verged on obnoxious to everyone but Chanyeol because he was in love…  _ is _ in love, and when the set ended, he fled from the stage and packed his things as quickly as he could because he had to escape the nightmare, immediately.

 

Chanyeol’s apartment wasn’t any better. He couldn’t sleep in the bed. The sheets were too cold and there was a lack of weight on the other side of the bed, nothing dragging him toward the center. He couldn’t sleep on the couch. Too many memories of cuddles and practice sessions pressed against the dam in his mind and threatened a flood of tears. He couldn’t sleep. At all. He sat up at the piano and played Baekhyun’s song over and over… and over, until he couldn’t breathe without sobbing out the lyrics.

He fucked up. God, he fucked everything up,  _ everything _ . And the worst part is, he wouldn’t even take it back if he could. That night, that trainwreck of a New Year’s Eve show, Sehun and Kris showing up and Baekhyun fainting and Chanyeol making one of the most difficult decisions of his life… if he could take any of it back, it wouldn’t be the part where he helped Sehun.

He’d been thinking for days about how to apologise, how to talk Baekhyun into taking him back, but how could he say he was sorry without sounding insincere? He couldn’t even promise it wouldn’t happen again because if someone he knew was in danger or in pain, Chanyeol would not hesitate to step in.

So Chanyeol suffered through work, and he didn’t sleep. He tried to eat, but nothing settled in his stomach right. There was a Baekhyun-shaped hole in his heart, and nothing could possibly fill it. He’d never felt so lost.

 

Life was nothing but work and an empty apartment. He touched base with Kyungsoo at the club one night, asking about Baekhyun and Sehun. Just a few weeks into the new year Sehun had found himself a job with good pay and decent hours. He had even made friends with one of Yixing’s bandmates who offered Sehun a place to stay until he was on his feet.

Baekhyun was keeping himself busy learning to cook. He was still a total disaster in the kitchen, but Kyungsoo said he was slowly getting better. “The last time Baekhyun made rice it was even fully cooked… maybe a little overcooked, actually, but it was an improvement over crunchy.” Kyungsoo’s report sounded so positive that Chanyeol couldn’t help thinking maybe Baekhyun was better off without him.

Minseok cornered Chanyeol before he could rush out after work that evening. “I saw Sehun the other night,” he informed Chanyeol. “He looks good, Channie. You did a good thing. You know that, right?”

Chanyeol sighed loudly. “I know, hyung.” Of course he knew, but losing Baekhyun… it was hard, really hard. It felt unfair, but at the same time it didn’t because Chanyeol could understand Baekhyun’s side of things. He didn’t blame Baekhyun; he just missed him.

 

Chanyeol spent days trying to find the perfect song, something that said _ I’m sorry and I still love you  _ without being overly sappy or lame. He finally gave up on finding an existing song and sat down to write something himself. When open mic night rolled around the next week, Chanyeol signed himself up. He called Kyungsoo and asked him to bring Baekhyun, and he hoped Baekhyun would come.

Minseok nodded at Chanyeol when his turn came up, and Chanyeol stepped up to the center microphone to introduce himself.

“Hello, I’m Chanyeol. Uhh… I usually stick to the background around here, playing guitar and backing up the lead singers, but tonight I wanna try something a little out of the ordinary. See, there’s this guy, this really great guy, and I did something that hurt him. As you can probably tell, I’m not great with words, but… but music is different. Music is a language I’m fluent in. I feel like it’s the best way I have to express myself. So, I don’t know if he’s here, but if he is, this song is for him.”

He closed his eyes and filled his lungs with as much air as he could fit, slowly releasing the breath as he began to pluck out the intro to his song. The melody flowed from his lips in his rich baritone, and he strummed the strings of the guitar. The chords hung in the air, heavy, almost burdensome.

When he reached the bridge, the tone brightened with the hopefulness of the lyrics.

The final chorus came to an end, and he strummed the ending chord. He kept his eyes closed as the audience clapped, and he made his way back to his little corner of the stage so the next performer could take the mic.

“Hi, I’m Daehyun, and I’m really not sure how I’m supposed to follow that,” he joked, and Chanyeol blushed, and that easy smile that he usually gave so freely threatened to creep up on his face. He fought it back. He wasn’t ready to relax yet, not until he’d had a chance to speak to Baekhyun.

The rest of the night crawled by at a snail’s pace. Singers came and went, some actually pretty decent and others that made Chanyeol want to cover his ears. Kyungsoo was the last performer of the night, and as he came up on stage, Chanyeol stepped down to the bar for a well deserved drink, allowing Yixing to accompany Kyungsoo like always.

“I had a song all picked out when I got here tonight,” Kyungsoo announced, “but my friend begged me to change it at the last minute. He said he had a message for someone, and I think the message is, 'I miss you.’ You know who you are.”

Chanyeol listened to Kyungsoo sing from his seat at the bar as he drank whatever Jongin poured for him. Surprisingly, the lyrics never mentioned being wronged or hurt, just the sentiment of missing someone. He’d kept himself calm up until then, working through all the pain and loneliness, but his heart felt like it was held together with Elmer’s glue and Scotch tape. Every line peeled a bit of the tape away, a bit of the glue apart, until his heart was sitting in his chest in a pile of pieces.

Then the tears came, a wave of warm saline flowing down his cheeks and dripping from his chin into his drink. He brushed them away with the back of his hand, but another wave came crashing in right behind the first, and another, and another in a never ending cycle.

Someone tapped on his shoulder, and Chanyeol sniffed and wiped his eyes. He turned around, and there he was, Baekhyun, looking just the same as he had the first time they met. His eyes were red and wet, and his face was puffy. He smiled though. He smiled as he dabbed at the corners of his eyes with his knuckles.

“Someone once told me that when he’s going through something tough, hugs help.” Baekhyun opened his arms and waited. When Chanyeol didn’t move, Baekhyun said, “Come on, giant. Just come here.” Chanyeol dove into Baekhyun’s arms and wrapped his own around Baekhyun’s slender frame. He buried his face in Baekhyun’s shoulder, and he cried. “Shhhh, it’s okay,” Baekhyun cooed and stroked Chanyeol’s hair. “I missed you, giant. I missed you so much.”


	34. 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is rated M, just in case you need a warning.

“So Yeol, it’s been few weeks. How have you been?” Baekhyun asked awkwardly. He didn’t know how else to start the conversation, and Chanyeol didn’t seem capable of it.

“Awful,” Chanyeol replied with a miserable little huff of laughter. He almost sounded like he was going to cry again when Baekhyun had just gotten him to calm down. Minseok had offered them privacy in his office while they talked, and Baekhyun was thankful because _both_ of them had been blubbering like babies at the bar. “I don’t know what to do without you. I feel like a part of me is missing.”

“Me too, Yeol.”

“Baekhyun, I’m so sorry I hurt you,” Chanyeol nearly choked on the words, and yeah, he was probably about to start crying again.

“It’s okay,” Baekhyun assured him. “I forgive you.”

Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun like he was either a liar or a saint. “Really? You do?”

“Of course. Chanyeol, what you did, it’s just your nature,” Baekhyun explained. “You’re naturally protective of people, especially those you care about. It’s one of your most endearing qualities. Unfortunately, it’s one of your more frustrating qualities as well. I know you can’t promise it won’t ever happen again, and I wouldn’t want you to because it would be a lie. I also can’t promise I won’t get upset about it again, but give me time and I’ll always come back to you because I love you.”

Chanyeol had been studying his feet while Baekhyun talked, and his eyes snapped up at the last words. “You still love me? So we’re not over?”

Baekhyun reached out and held Chanyeol’s face in his hands. “Giant, you’ll have to try harder than that to get rid of me.” He kissed Chanyeol’s forehead and crawled into his lap to snuggle. “I’ve been cold. I seem to remember someone promising to keep me warm.” Baekhyun nuzzled into the crook of Chanyeol’s neck and whispered in his ear, “Yeolie, take me home.”

 

They barely made it through the door before Baekhyun was climbing Chanyeol like a tree. He hooked his heels behind Chanyeol’s back and his hands around Chanyeol’s neck and crashed their lips together in a kiss that was all teeth and tongues. It was frantic and a mess, and it was absolutely glorious.

Chanyeol’s fingers dug into Baekhyun’s thighs as he hoisted him higher, holding him more securely so they could move to the bedroom. He was dizzy, high on the taste and feel of Baekhyun, and he wanted to cry tears of joy because Baekhyun still wanted to be with him.

“Unh, Chanyeol… bed, please,” Baekhyun begged, and Chanyeol knew he wasn’t the only one who missed this. “We need less clothes,” he continued as Chanyeol made his way from the entryway through the living room to the bedroom, “ _significantly_ less clothes and more touching and fuck why did we stop kissing?”

“Because we both know I can’t carry you and kiss you at the same time,” Chanyeol laughed. Baekhyun had apparently decided to put his mouth to better use than talking and began nibbling at Chanyeol’s ear. His breaths sent shivers of pleasure down Chanyeol’s spine, and he was forced to take a break, leaning against the wall across from the bedroom door until his legs stopped shaking and threatening to give out beneath him.

Baekhyun bounced on the mattress as Chanyeol practically threw him down. They were both trying to remove their clothes as quickly as possible, Chanyeol nearly ripping his shirt instead of pulling it over his head as he watched Baekhyun wiggle his ass out of his jeans. When they were both completely bare, Chanyeol crawled over Baekhyun, caging him in, elbows on either side of his head and fingers tangled in his hair. Chanyeol nipped at Baekhyun’s jaw and nudged his chin up to reach his neck. He might have gotten a little carried away, biting and sucking, leaving obvious, visible marks, but Baekhyun didn’t seem to mind if the increasing volume of his voice was anything to go by.

Baekhyun fumbled for their lube in Chanyeol’s nightstand, but Chanyeol took it from him before he could even open the bottle. “New… something new tonight,” he mumbled. The look Baekhyun gave him lacked focus, and he seemed confused. “Want you to top.” Baekhyun snatched the lube back from Chanyeol, and for a moment he wasn’t sure whether Baekhyun was agreeing or not.

Then his world was spinning, and his back hit the mattress. Baekhyun loomed above him with a heat and hunger in his eyes that Chanyeol had never seen before. Gentle hands spread Chanyeol’s legs. Slick fingers pressed against his rim, pushed in slowly, so slowly. Baekhyun’s hands were so dainty that even though it had been awhile since Chanyeol had bottomed,two fingers were hardly a stretch, and Chanyeol wanted to tell Baekhyun to hurry up, that he wouldn’t break. His words were stolen right out of his mouth with a loud gasp as Baekhyun’s lips wrapped around his cock and slid down.

“Oh, holy fuck, no. You gotta stop that. It’s been too long... I’m not gonna-”

“It’s okay. Cum if you need to. I just want to make you feel good.” Chanyeol started to roll his eyes, but instead they rolled back in his head as Baekhyun added a third finger at the same time his mouth returned to Chanyeol’s cock. His mind went blank except for the static of his buzzing nerves. All he could hear was slurping and squelching. All he could feel was what was happening between his legs, and every muscle in his body went rigid when Baekhyun found his prostate.

Chanyeol's brain couldn't form words. He couldn't scream. When he tried to speak, all that came out were gurgling moans. He'd never felt so incredible, and he couldn't even praise Baekhyun or beg for more or for him to stop and everything was too much, _too much!_ He hit the back of Baekhyun’s throat, and he came with a hoarse groan as Baekhyun swallowed around him, pulling his fingers out slowly while Chanyeol twitched against his tongue. “I think you’re ready,” he giggled, swiping his arm across his mouth and wiping his hand on the sheets. “Are you ready?”

“Fuck,” Chanyeol answered between ragged breaths. “Fuck yeah, but… I’m kinda… I don’t think I can move, Baek.”

“Aww, baby, you don’t have to move.” Chanyeol shivered as Baekhyun ran soft fingers along his inner thighs. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you.”

And he did. Baekhyun slicked himself with lube and lifted Chanyeol's knees. He shifted forward and leaned over Chanyeol, and when he entered Chanyeol, he closed his eyes and dropped his head to Chanyeol's shoulder. “Thank you,” he whispered, his lips against Chanyeol's skin.

Baekhyun eased into Chanyeol. He was careful not to go too fast, and Chanyeol was thankful because he was still sensitive. It felt good though, amazing, fucking extraordinary. Sex had never felt so good, not any other time with Baekhyun and certainly not before Baekhyun.

They were both trembling when Baekhyun started to move his hips, slow, shallow thrusts that made his cock drag against Chanyeol’s insides and set his body on fire.

“Oh, oh my… Chanyeol, so… God,” Baekhyun mumbled. Chanyeol just nodded because his mind was pretty much on the same track.

The rhythm sped up, and Baekhyun pushed himself up, bracing his hands on Chanyeol’s shoulders. His next movement caused him to brush against Chanyeol’s prostate, and Chanyeol screamed, “Fuck, I love you.” There was a hint of a smile on Baekhyun’s lips, but Chanyeol was more captivated by how heavy Baekhyun’s eyelids had suddenly become and the way his eyebrows were drawn together.

“Chan… I’m so close,” he moaned.

“Then fuck me, baby.” Baekhyun didn’t slow down, but he seemed to struggle to focus properly. He gave Chanyeol a questioning look. “I need it too. Come on, do it.”

With a growl, Baekhyun let loose, wrapping his fingers around Chanyeol’s length and stroking in time with the movement of his hips. Chanyeol felt the pressure building, his orgasm right there on the horizon, and when they came, they came together.

Baekhyun nearly collapsed on top of Chanyeol, panting, smearing cum between them, and Chanyeol’s emotions welled up in his chest as he wrapped his arms around Baekhyun. He sniffled and laughed at himself because he had Baekhyun right there in his arms, but somehow he was still on the verge of tears.

“Oh, giant, no. No, no,” Baekhyun slurred sleepily. “Don’t cry. If you cry, I’ll cry.”

“I'm not. I won't.” He lifted a hand to comb his fingers through Baekhyun's hair. “You're a sweaty mess,” he laughed as his fingers slid through the damp locks.

“Yah! So are you. We're both covered in cum too. Don't judge.”

“Ahhh,” Chanyeol sighed. “I'm too tired to shower right now.”

Baekhyun pushed himself up a bit. “Well I'm not going to sleep like this.”

“Fine, fine. Bath?”

“Mmm… I'll start the water if you change the sheets.”

“Too much work,” Chanyeol grumbled. “I'll strip the sheets and we can sleep on top of the duvet.”

“Deal.” Baekhyun rolled off the bed and helped Chanyeol up. “Hey,” he said, “I love you too. You know that, right?”

“Yeah, I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I recently replied to a comment saying that I had several more chapters left, but it turns out this is pretty much it. So, there's going to be one more chapter which is just an epilogue and then, I'm sad to say, Keep Me Warm will be over. It's been a long, bumpy ride for me. I hope y'all have enjoyed it as much as I have, and if you like my writing check out my other work. So far this is my only EXO fic, but I also write BTS, Monsta X, VIXX, B.A.P, and in the very near future it looks like there will be some iKON mixed in there as well. Thanks for all the love and support and for sticking with me. Y'all are awesome and I love you!


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